


The Flash and the Arrow

by elementsofcreation



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Inspired by Beauty and the Beast, M rating for final chapter only, M/M, Oliver is still the Arrow, barry is still the flash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:25:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 69,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7148747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elementsofcreation/pseuds/elementsofcreation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Olivarry Week. Fairytale AU: Beauty and the Beast. (But Barry is still the Flash and Oliver is still the Arrow)</p><p>When Oliver Queen took on the evil Damien Darhk, he never expected to be cursed. Now, if Oliver doesn't find true love before his 30th birthday, he will die. Weakened and scarred, Oliver retreats to the Queen mansion in the middle of the forest with his team to try and find a cure. When nothing scientific can break the curse, and when none of his relationships work out, Oliver resigns himself to his fate: He has been ruined by something that he cannot fight. That is, until hope arrives in the form of a young man with super speed, who comes into Oliver's life and changes his perspective.</p><p>Barry's beauty is his ability to see the best in people and Oliver's beastliness is his inability to trust anyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first thing that I've written and posted in a very long time and the first under this username. I’ve tried my best to catch any mistakes!  
> All credit for the quote in the first paragraph goes to the original Beauty and the Beast story, I've just borrowed it.  
> There are some references to Arrow & Flash, but nothing beyond episode 17 of Arrow season 4 and the start of Flash season 2. In this story Barry is still the Flash and Oliver is still the Arrow, but with a fairy tale twist.
> 
> What was originally meant to be about 10000 words quickly got away from itself and became epic in length.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the first part!
> 
> Cross posted to Tumblr: http://elementofcreation.tumblr.com/

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first thing that I have written and posted in a very long time and the first under this username. I’ve tried my best to catch any mistakes!
> 
> All credit for the quote in the first paragraph goes to the original Beauty and the Beast story, I've just borrowed it.
> 
> There are some references to Arrow & Flash, but nothing beyond about episode 17 of season 4 (Arrow) and the start of  
> season 2 (Flash). In this story Barry is still the Flash and Oliver is still the Arrow, but with a fairytale twist.
> 
> What was originally meant to be about 10000 words quickly got away from itself and became epic in length.  
> I've split it into four parts because of that. I'm really super grateful that we can submit for all prompts throughout the  
> week this time, because once I got into writing this I realised how long this would take to finish.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the first part!
> 
> Cross posted to Tumblr: http://elementofcreation.tumblr.com/

Chapter One:

''Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young Prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for Beauty is found within. But when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful Enchantress. She transformed him into a hideous beast, and her spell could only be broken if he could learn to love another and earn their love in return. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time,'' Felicity read aloud. She heaved a sigh. 'A beautiful prince, an enchantress, a curse, a rose, true love.' She slammed her laptop shut in annoyance and scoffed. 'Yeah right. If only it were that simple!'

Felicity stood, and she began to pace in the gardens of the Queen mansion restlessly, laptop forgotten on the grass. 'Oh no, it could never be that simple. Oliver had to piss off Malcolm Merlyn so much that he joined forces with Damien Darhk and cursed Oliver. I suppose that chopping off his hand and forbidding Merlyn from seeing his daughter was the final straw...' Felicity muttered as she pointed at the bluebird that had cocked its head at her as she rambled. 'Oh, they gave him a way to break the curse. It's just that every time Oliver gets close to someone and it's looking good, dear old Malcolm or Damien screws it up, or I screw it up and can't love him enough to break the curse.'

Felicity frowned down at her feet, barely visible in the long grass, and she shuddered as she remembered the way that Merlyn had manipulated Roy. Because of Merlyn, Sara was dead, and Roy could not bear to face them. Especially Thea. Oliver had been reluctant to try and learn to love again after that, let alone her, but desperation had given them a shot. Felicity had tried her hardest to be the love that Oliver needed, but Oliver had proved that he couldn't change who he was, not even for her. He couldn't let anyone in and trust them completely. Felicity was sure that it was all part of Malcolm's plan: it wasn't a secret that Oliver had trust issues. Regardless of their history, she would stand by Oliver until the end: No matter how hard it would be to see the man that she loved deteriorate into a shell of his former self.

The large apple tree above her had begun to flower. There wasn't long left now until Oliver turned 30, and rather than cause excitement, it was a day that everyone in the household dreaded. It was to be the day that the curse would take Oliver's life, should he not find true love by then.

The garden was large and beautiful this time of year. Flowers had begun to bloom, and the cherry blossom trees were alive and bright with pinks and whites. Felicity felt tears spring to her eyes. Oliver would not see another summer. 'Oliver...there must be something I can do...' Felicity broke off as she remembered watching Beauty and the Beast with Lyla and little Sara. 'If only Oliver could be that lucky.'

Felicity wandered to stand by the apple tree, and she looked beyond the large iron fence of the mansion that Oliver insisted they move to when he had first been cursed. She addressed the little bird which had followed her and landed on a branch nearby. 'At least we weren't all transformed into household objects,' Felicity giggled hysterically. She certainly did not want to be a teapot or a feather duster, and the very thought of Roy and Diggle stuck as a clock and a candlestick cracked her up.

'Oh God, I'm losing it,' Felicity huffed sadly. 'Although if Roy had been a candlestick, and Thea the duster, because of course she would have been, then it would have been near impossible for Malcolm to drug Roy and influence him to kill Sara, and maybe Oliver would be cured and Roy and Thea would still be together.' Felicity brought her hand up to her mouth to cover a sob as she sank to her knees in the tall grass. She barely knew Oliver any more. He kept himself inside the mansion and alternated between stalking its halls and brooding. The once proud manor continued to fall into a worse state of repair. If only she could turn back the clock six months to just before it all began.

 

Six months ago, Starling City:

Damien Darhk laughed manically as Malcolm Merlyn straddled a helpless Oliver Queen and pinned him to the floor with his one remaining hand at Queen's neck. 'This is the end for you, Oliver. Sad as I will be to see you go, I cannot allow you to keep Thea from me any longer.'

'And I cannot allow you to continue to interfere with my plans,' Darhk complained as he placed a hand on Oliver's chest.

Oliver could feel his eyes slipping closed as the hand that Darhk placed on him pulled at his energy. Darhk began to chant, and Oliver felt himself grow weary. His struggles were weak as he tried to get free, but he was unable to dislodge the hefty weight that pinned him.

'We all win from this, well, all except you of course,' Darhk drawled.

'An ancient curse,' Malcolm explained as he injected Oliver in the arm. 'It will cripple you, drain your energy and show the truly damaged nature of your soul externally. There is a cure of course, but you will never achieve that. Without your good looks, no one will look at you twice, and even if they do get beyond that, your very nature will never allow anyone to get close enough to love you,' Malcolm laughed.

Darhk finished chanting the curse and straightened up to kick Oliver in the side. Malcolm released him. Oliver tried to struggle to his feet, but he lost his footing and fell immediately to his knees.

'I still don't see why we can't kill him,' Malcolm complained. He smacked Oliver with his own bow. Oliver fell to the floor on his side, hands bound, and he began to squirm. Malcolm threw the bow down by Oliver's head and watched with interest.

'Because if you murder her brother, Thea will never forgive you,' Darhk insisted. 'Have patience, Malcolm. The curse is already taking effect. If Oliver does not find love by his thirtieth birthday, he will be dead anyway. Oliver has a chance to save himself. If he can't because of who he is, that's hardly your fault,' Damien grinned. 'Let's depart, I'm sure that his friends will be here soon to pick up the pieces, and he is beginning to change.'

Oliver groaned in agony as the two villains stalked away. His last thought was of Felicity before his eyes slipped closed. He hoped that they would find him soon.

–--

When Oliver regained consciousness, he felt a dull pain which ran through his entire body. He pushed past it and sat up hesitantly. Oliver breathed a sigh of relief when he realised that he was at least safe in the foundry. He swung his legs over the edge of the table and winced as every movement caused his skin to pull and every muscle twinged. Oliver sighed as he remembered Malcolm's words, a curse which would cripple him and eventually kill him. He could not tell the others how weak he felt. He would carry on as normal and pretend that everything was fine. Oliver stood and braced himself as he made his way over to Felicity.

'Oh, Oliver, you shouldn't be up,' Felicity exclaimed, and struggled to meet his eyes.

'What is it, Felicity?' Oliver asked when he noticed her odd behaviour. He could not stop the grimace that crossed his face as his muscles twinged in protest.

'Oliver...what did they do to you? And before you say it, don't say nothing. You're covered from head to toe in scars, I barely even recognise you,' Felicity choked up.

Oliver's hands moved slowly to his face and he traced the scars. They were everywhere. Oliver could not help the gasp that he let loose and he moved to sit again. He accepted the mirror that Felicity offered to him and was horrified by what he saw. Felicity was right, he barely recognised the man that he used to be. His face had changed, gone was his pale skin and pretty boy looks. His face was covered in scars and barely a smooth patch of skin could be seen. The scars were raw and red, but they were not bleeding. Oliver whimpered when Felicity touched his shoulder. He could feel his skin stretching and realised that the scars must extend underneath his clothes too.

'I can't go out in public like this,' Oliver realised aloud and sat with a lost look on his face. 'I can barely stand up without getting out of breath either. Whatever they did drained my stamina. I can't go out at night any more as the Green Arrow either.' Oliver stood and kicked the filing cabinets in frustration but winced as he felt his leg twinge in agony.

Felicity approached him. 'Oliver...we will find a cure...'

'You won't,' Oliver growled. Malcolm's words replayed in his head. True love. Why did it have to be that? He was not an open person and Malcolm knew that finding love and learning to trust someone completely would be near impossible for him. Oliver felt a deep sadness consume him. 'I need to be left alone.'

Felicity sighed and left Oliver alone in their base, but promised herself that she would check up on him later. There must be a cure, there had to be, or all their hard work against Darhk, all the sacrifices that they had made to try to stop him, would have all been in vain.

 

Present day, Central City:

Quentin Lance sighed as he sipped a cup of coffee and watched out of the window of the Central City police headquarters as a bright yellow streak zipped past in the blink of an eye in and out of traffic. The Flash, or at least that was what the newspapers were now calling him. The fastest man alive, a hero, a protector of the innocent and an unstoppable force. Quentin was still unsure about him. The Flash had not dished out punishment or taken the law into his own hands yet, as far as he or the rest of the department were aware, but the path of a hero was tough, and it was a fine line between being a hero and becoming a vigilante.

A few months ago Starling City used to have a vigilante. A vigilante who dished out a permanent kind of justice to criminals and who was feared by the population and wanted by the police. Quentin had missed his chance to catch the vigilante on a number of occasions, and had even worked with him for a time, although that was a closely guarded secret. Everything had changed when Damien Darhk and Malcolm Merlyn joined forces and decided that the vigilante needed to be stopped. No one knew the specifics, but all Quentin knew was that the vigilante had disappeared and Oliver Queen had holed himself up in the old Queen mansion out of town, in a secluded location in the middle of a forest between Starling and Central City. Coincidence? He thought not.

Quentin had tried to believe for a time that Starling City was better off without the vigilante, but under Darhk's leadership the city was going to hell faster than ever. His daughter Laurel, who he was convinced had been involved with the vigilante, had very little to say on the matter, and had sighed when he had cursed the vigilante. She had disappeared not long after Queen had, and Quentin was convinced that Queen was involved, that he and the vigilante were the same person. Why else would they disappear at the same time? He wasn't going to trek through a dangerous forest to find out though and Laurel kept in regular contact with him, even if she did refuse to talk about Queen or the vigilante whenever she called.

Either way, Quentin had enough of Starling City and transferred to Central. His new partner, Joe West, had explained that there was something weird going on at the old Queen mansion, and that people were advised to stay away.

'Rumour is that Queen's cursed,' Joe explained. 'I wouldn't have believed it before, but we've had some pretty strange goings on in Central City ever since the particle accelerator exploded, so I don't know what to believe.'

'Regardless, I'm convinced that Queen was a criminal and a vigilante. If it wasn't so much hassle to get to that mansion of his, I would have arrested him long ago,' Quentin complained.

Joe nodded. 'I agree completely. Man killed a lot of people in the name of 'justice.' At least the Flash doesn't kill people.'

'The Flash would never do that!' Barry piped up as he walked towards them down the stairs and handed Joe a file. Joe rolled his eyes at him and Barry looked down just in time to notice that his shoes were smoking. He scuffed them out on the floor quickly before anyone else could notice. 'That's the evidence from the shooting this morning. Two different guns, but one shooter, even despite the odd angles. The two 'different' fingerprints are actually the same, just jumbled up.'

'Thanks, Barry,' Joe offered with a smile.

'Hey, can I slip out for a bit? Iris wants to meet me at Jitters, she said it was important,' Barry asked and argued his case. 'I'm done here until anything else happens that needs my attention.'

'Sure, get out of here, kid,' Joe laughed and clapped a hand on Barry's shoulder. 'I'll call you if I need anything.'

Quentin watched as Barry left. 'Where on earth did you find that kid? He's brilliant,' Quentin muttered. 'Could have done with him when we were trying to catch the vigilante in Starling.'

'Haha, don't let Barry catch you saying that, kid has it in his head that the vigilante was a hero,' Joe laughed.

'Hmm, perhaps not as smart as I thought then,' Quentin grinned.

Joe sighed. 'Can't get through to him about everything. Barry has this habit of seeing the best in everyone that he meets. Let's get to work, kids probably given us a good lead.' Joe held up the file.

'All right, lets go then,' Quentin nodded and they headed to their desks to get to work.

–--

'Hey, Iris!' Barry greeted cheerfully as he reached the table that she had grabbed for them. It was mid morning and Jitters was quiet. A calm before the storm of the lunchtime rush. Barry slid into the chair opposite Iris and reached for the coffee that she had bought him.

'Hey, Barry, you're late!' Iris scolded as he sat down. 'Luckily for you, I knew that you would be. I only just got your coffee, it's still warm.'

'Thanks,' Barry murmured gratefully and sipped his drink. 'A chocolate chip muffin too? You're the best, Iris. I'm sorry that I'm late, really. Your dad held me up at the station, I had to process some data from a shooting. What is it that you wanted to talk about?'

Iris nodded decisively and left her left hand on the table in between them. 'So, you know that I moved in with Eddie a few months ago. Well, last night was our one year anniversary, and he took me out to this amazing restaurant.'

Barry tried to stop the frown that threatened to spill onto his face at the mention of Eddie. Ever since Eddie had transferred to head up the new second branch of CCPD, Barry had not seen as much of him. It had been a relief, really, as he no longer had to see Iris make out with him at the station every other day.

It was then that Barry looked down and saw the engagement ring on Iris' finger. He felt a deep sadness well up inside him, but fought to contain it and keep his expression interested as she continued. 'Sounds good,' Barry forced a smile.

'He proposed!' Iris exclaimed, and waved her hand in front of Barry's face. 'Barry I'm so excited!'

'Really? That's amazing, Iris!' Barry exclaimed and forced a grin as best as he was able to.

'I know, it's the best!' Iris gushed. 'Barry, I want you to be there through everything. Be my maid of honour?'

'Iris, I don't know what to say!' Barry replied. 'I'm a guy!'

'You can have a male maid of honour!' Iris insisted. 'You're my best friend, I wouldn't have anyone else!'

Barry smiled and nodded. 'Of course, Iris. I'm happy for you,' Barry murmured quietly.

'Thanks, Bear! I'll see you later, I have to get back to work,' Iris gave him a quick peck on the cheek and was out of the door.

'Bye, Iris,' Barry said quietly. The minute she was out of the door he slumped in his chair and smiled sadly as he finished his coffee. Ever since he had told Iris how he felt and insisted that she had feelings for him too, Iris had thrown herself into her relationship with Eddie. She had believed Caitlyn's 'lightning psychosis' explanation and thought that Barry's feelings for her were purely friendly. Barry had felt the sting of rejection sharply and had thrown himself into being the Flash, working to save as many people as possible and trying to prove that Dr Wells was the man in yellow. He had not stopped to examine his feelings and he did not have time to do that now.

Cisco and Caitlyn were currently chasing down leads in Starling City. Dr Wells thought that they had taken time to visit a science fair in Coast City, and Barry planned to distract him long enough to keep it that way.

Barry looked at his watch. His friends would be nearly halfway through the dense forest on the way to Starling City by now. They had taken the scenic route in a hire car to throw Wells further off the scent. Caitlyn had insisted that they leave early to make it through the forest well before darkness fell, provided that they didn't get lost in the ass end of nowhere. It was probably a good time to get to Star Labs and check in. They could manage without him at the station for a while.

Suddenly Barry's phone buzzed with a distress call from Cisco. Barry froze momentarily before his mind kicked into gear and he was out of Jitters in a flash. He rushed straight for Star labs to track Cisco and grab his suit. In minutes Barry was speeding towards the forest to follow the road that Cisco and Caitlyn would have taken, his heart beating even faster than was normal for him in his chest. There had been no sign of Wells at Star Labs and Barry felt panic begin to stir in his chest.

'Please let me get there in time,' Barry muttered as he skidded to a relieved halt in front of Cisco and Caitlyn, who stood at the other side of a rickety wooden bridge at the side of the road. The car had flipped and lay smoking a few metres away. 'Are you guys OK?'

Barry took in the blood which dripped down the side of Cisco's head and winced at the scar on Caitlyn's cheek.

'It's only minor damage,' Caitlyn insisted, 'But we don't know where he went and he could be back at any second.'

'Who?' Barry asked.

'The man in yellow, Barry!' Cisco confirmed and Barry shuddered. Barry knew that he was not fast enough to beat him, not yet, but now his friends lives were in danger and it was all his fault. He had to try.

'OK, you and Cisco call a taxi, I'll keep watch and if he comes back I'll distract him whilst you get away. Head to Starling City and lie low for a while, I'll find you there,' Barry insisted.

Cisco nodded, took out his phone, and tried to make the call. He looked at Caitlyn with a worried look on his face. 'It's not working, try yours.'

Barry scanned the area carefully and stood close to his friends. He was not surprised when the man in yellow appeared at the other side of the bridge.

'Looking for me, Flash?' the man in yellow scowled as he advanced menacingly towards them.

'Leave them out of this,' Barry insisted and stood between the man and his friends.

'I need you, Flash, I don't need them,' the man insisted. 'They are already dead to me.'

'I will never help you!' Barry yelled, and rushed Cisco and Caitlyn far away into the forest. 'Run!' Barry insisted and zipped back to engage the man in yellow in a fight.

'If you want a chance to save your mother, you will do whatever I say,' the man yelled as he and Barry exchanged blows. 'Let me help you, Barry, and in return you can help me.'

'That's not possible,' Barry insisted as he landed a particularly strong blow to the man's head.

'Anything is possible if you get fast enough,' the man insisted and Barry winced as his stomach was hit repeatedly. It was time for a tactical retreat.

Barry ran. His heart pounded and his chest heaved. He noted with relief that at least the man had forgotten about Caityn and Cisco and was now following him through the woods at breakneck speed and was gaining fast. Barry felt the undergrowth brush his legs and was grateful for the thick material of the Flash suit which kept his legs from being shredded by the thorns and brambles. He pushed himself harder than he had ever pushed himself before and willed his body to move faster. He had never been fast enough to beat this man before, but he had to get away and into a position to fight back. Barry felt a pressure deep in his chest and yelled out as he flung himself forward further into the depths of the forest. He blinked and suddenly found himself alone in a clearing, and when he turned the man in yellow was nowhere in sight.

Barry sped around the area and came to a halt in the clearing again with a curse. There was no sign of the man anywhere.

Suddenly, an ear piercing scream sounded in the distance. 'Caitlyn,' Barry exclaimed and sped off towards the sound, his heart pounding brutally in his chest.

The man in yellow stood near a waterfall and Barry processed quickly that there was just enough time and enough speed. He just hoped that he would come out on top. Barry flung himself towards the man in yellow, who was taken by surprise when Barry's punch connected and they both tumbled off the waterfall, limbs entangled. As they fell they clawed at each other, each desperately trying to get purchase on the other so that they could push off and speed away to the safety of dry land. It was no use, Barry thought, as he fumbled another attempt. Their suits were wet from the spray of the waterfall and he could not get his footing. The last thing Barry remembered was seeing the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall and he twisted desperately to avoid them with the hope that he would be OK.

 

Later that day:

When Barry came to he was cold and shivering. He opened his eyes and looked around. He had been washed up on the side of the river and lay on his side facing upstream. The ground was wet and Barry guessed that it had rained whilst he was unconscious. Barry choked violently, coughed up a mouthful of water, and winced as his chest gave a twinge of pain. He attempted to push himself up on his right arm and grimaced when he was unable to put pressure on it. Barry looked at his left arm and moved it cautiously. It seemed to be fine, so he switched to his left arm and pushed himself to his feet. His left ankle twinged in protest, so Barry balanced most of his weight on his right foot. His cowl was drenched and Barry pulled it back carefully and ran his fingers through his hair, agitated. A quick glance around confirmed that he could no longer see the bottom of the waterfall and he had been washed up on the shore of a wide river. Waves lapped peacefully along the river bank and Barry looked in the direction that the water was flowing from. The current further upstream was much stronger and the river cut its way down a steep slope and through the countryside. It could have carried him miles away from his point of origin and there was no way that he would be able to run back in that direction in his current state.

Barry sighed and clutched his right arm to his side as he focused on the river bank itself. Upstream the bank was rocky and rough, with no visible path in sight or no sign of anything other than a deep forest. Barry turned his head to look the other way. Downstream, the riverside was obstruction free and would be much easier to navigate. Barry sighed and focused on moving a few steps forward at a time. Suddenly he noticed something yellow by the side of the river and gasped in shock as he took in the man, a sharp contrast against the darkened river bed.

Hesitantly, Barry approached the prone, face down, man and nudged at him with his right foot. The man did not stir so Barry let his injured arm down gently to hang by his side and knelt awkwardly by the man in yellow. With his good arm he reached out and took the man's wrist in his hand to check for a pulse. Barry sighed and felt a wash of sadness sweep through him when he felt nothing beneath his fingers. He sank to sit with his knees pulled up to his chest and leant his good arm on top of them. A single tear tracked down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly. He had to know for sure.

Barry reached over and held his hand out slowly to grasp the edges of the yellow mask. He hesitated and took a deep breath before he pulled it back to reveal the face of Harrison Wells. Barry sobbed and dropped the cowl to withdraw his hand and cover his mouth to stifle a cry. It was over, but this was not how it was meant to go. His father would be stuck in prison for the rest of his life and Barry felt helplessness stir and spread through his entire being. He shuddered, dropped his head to his knees and sobbed.

–--

By the time Barry lifted his head, the sky had darkened and it had begun to rain. His limbs felt heavy, his chest ached, and his arm felt no better.

'I can't stay here,' Barry murmured to himself and pushed himself to this feet. Barry pressed the button for his comms. 'Cisco, Cisco, can you hear me?'

The device crackled and sparked and Barry turned it off quickly. He was on his own with no way to contact his friends, no way to ensure that they were all right. Barry glanced around and further down the river, deep in the forest, two lone spires extended above the tree line. It was the only landmark that he could see and he needed somewhere to shelter from the rain so that he could recover and let his healing abilities work their magic. Barry moved tentatively to test his legs, unsure of the damage that had been done to his body in his fall over the waterfall and journey downstream. His chest hurt, he suspected that he may have cracked a rib or two, and he did not feel up to running. Barry started to move towards the forest and the mansion in the distance on unsteady legs.

He had made it a fair distance into the forest and could no longer see the river bank when a sudden howl pierced the air and Barry looked up in alarm. Wolves. Barry picked up his pace and pushed through the exhaustion that threatened to overcome his aching body. He knew that his time was limited. Wolves moved fast and hunted in packs, and they could probably smell the blood on his clothes from the gash on his leg, which Barry had not noticed until now.

The wolves howled again, closer this time, and Barry could make out at least three separate cries. Barry's eyes widened in fear as he saw the undergrowth rustle nearby and he willed his body to move forward. He managed a few short bursts of speed but faltered each time and was unable to maintain his usual super-speed for any length of time without his chest twinging in agony.

His pursuers were gaining slightly and Barry looked back fretfully as he moved as quickly as he was able. If he could just make it to the mansion ahead of the wolves, hopefully he would find shelter and safety. His eyes crackled with lightning energy and he forced himself to speed up. He managed to access the speed force within him for longer this time. Barry found himself in front of a locked pair of iron gates and took a moment to look up at the dark, towering form of the house before a howl pulled him from his thoughts and he eyed the bars critically. The bars were evenly spaced, but further along a couple were bent outwards. Barry sized up the gap and made his choice. It was either try to get into the creepy looking house, or stay out here with the wolves. It was not a hard choice to make. He ducked and slipped between the bent bars easily and ran up to the doors of the house.

Barry knew that the wolves would also be able to squeeze through the gap in the gate and pounded frantically on the door. 'Please, somebody let me in!' Barry yelled and listened to see if there were any footsteps on the other side of the door. Nothing. He tried the door and cursed. It was locked. Barry banged on the door again and waited. Still nothing. There must be another way.

Barry looked at the solid oak door and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and pushed on the door. It would not budge. This was it, he was done for. Unless...the man in yellow had phased through objects before. Could he also do that? Barry placed his hand against the door, cleared his mind, and forced himself to concentrate as he began to vibrate his hand against the wood. Oh, his injuries did not like that sensation one bit and he could feel every vibration against his bones and muscles. It was endure this or be torn limb from limb by wild animals though.

Barry pressed his hand against the wood and frowned when nothing happened. He let his fist pound against the door in frustration. Barry risked a glance over his shoulder and grimaced. The wolves were howling and scrabbling as they all tried to fit through the gap in the gate at once. It was only a matter of time before...Barry flinched as one wolf squeezed through the gap, followed closely by the rest, and they started to run towards him. He hurriedly turned his attention back to the door and cleared his mind of everything but the speed force coursing through him. The slow motion howl of the wolf sounded distant as Barry imagined himself falling through the door and into the mansion.

The wolves were at his heels now and Barry winced as pain coursed through him. He felt an odd sensation as he passed through the door and fell to his knees on a worn carpet. Barry gave a sigh of relief and let his head fall forward to rest on the carpet. From behind, he heard the wolves growling and scratching at the door. Barry looked down at himself.

'Great, I managed to phase out of my suit...' Barry winced as he heard a large ripping noise from the other side of the door and huffed out a breath as he struggled to breathe. 'Cisco is going to kill me.'

At least his underwear remained, Barry thought gratefully as he winced and pushed himself to his feet. He was exhausted and needed somewhere safe to rest and heal, preferably a comfortable four poster bed and preferably on the ground floor so that he didn't have to navigate any stairs.

Barry wandered further into the entrance way and stood in front of the stairway. The hallway looked deserted, dusty and unkempt, but Barry hoped that there would be someone here that could offer him a place to stay and some food so that he could recover enough to get back to Central. If not, he was cool with squatting. It was better than camping out with the wolves outside. He hoped that Cisco and Caitlyn were OK and that they were not stranded in the forest somewhere.

'Hello, is anyone here?' Barry called out, and grinned when he heard his voice echo. 'Amazing. This place is bigger than Star Labs!'

Barry wandered aimlessly for what felt like hours to his aching body. He felt weaker by the second and cursed his decision to phase through the door. His last protein bar had been in the suit and he had struggled to use his speed during his escape from the wolves. Now, his metabolism was working full speed to try and heal his injuries but because he hadn't eaten since the coffee shop with Iris, he barely had the energy to sustain himself, let alone heal. He had skipped lunch to rush to Cisco and Caitlyn, and a glance at the clock told him that it was just after 3pm in the afternoon. This wasn't good. Without something to eat soon, he was sure that he would pass out. Barry heard footsteps from further down the hall and felt a wave of relief spread through him. At least now if he passed out, hopefully there was someone here who could help him. He headed towards the sound as quickly as he could and winced as every step jarred his ankle. He hoped that whoever he ran into, they were good people.

–--

'He doesn't have long left, Dig, and the closer it gets to his 30th birthday, the moodier he becomes. Laurel and Roy have both left already, and I know that Thea is torn between staying by her brother's side and following the man that she loves. I'll stay with him until the end, he's Oliver and even though it didn't work out between us I still care about him. I just think that we need to make plans for when this is over,' Felicity sighed.

'You mean when Oliver dies and Thea is taken by her evil father?' Diggle insisted. 'You know that Oliver wouldn't want that. I plan to go to Starling and protect Thea even after Oliver has gone.'

'And how does Lyla feel about that?' Felicity asked.

Diggle sighed. 'She doesn't agree, she says that she wants our daughter to grow up in a normal, safe city. Central maybe.'

'I'm heading there too, Ray is...' Felicity tailed off as she saw a young man heading towards them in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.

'Hey! I was beginning to think that this place was deserted!' Barry exclaimed and wobbled slightly as his feet gave out under him. His vision began to blur, but he was convinced that the people he had found looked friendly enough. 'Please, help me,' Barry murmured, and felt his eyelids slide shut as he lost consciousness.

–--

When Barry came to and opened his eyes, a quick glance around confirmed that he was in what looked to be a makeshift medical room. He groaned as his ribs reminded him of his injuries and glanced to the left, where a beautiful woman with blonde hair and glasses sat playing candy crush on a tablet.

'Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling? You look terrible,' she rambled, and corrected herself immediately. 'Oh, no, not in that way, you're actually pretty handsome, just, your injuries...'

Barry laughed but winced as he clutched at his chest. 'I'm fine, really, I feel much better than I did when I got here. How long have I been unconscious?'

'Oh, less than an hour,' the woman explained and looked at her watch. 'It's about 4 in the afternoon. We had to move you out of the hallway, obviously, but your injuries don't seem too severe. I thought that you might have broken a few ribs at first, your arm too, but I must have been mistaken, because the scans I did a few moments ago only show fractures.'

'It was mainly malnutrition that caused me to pass out, rather than the injuries themselves. I was chased by wolves, separated from my friends. It's a long story,' Barry explained, and kept to the basic details. There was no point in worrying the woman about the man in yellow, he was no longer a threat after all. Barry resolutely gulped down on the tight feeling in his chest that threatened to escalate into despair and focused in on what the woman was saying.

'Your friends?' the woman asked and tilted her head curiously.

Barry nodded. 'It was getting dark and I didn't want to leave them out there alone, but I couldn't look for them in my current state. Their partners will be worried sick if they don't hear from them.'

'What about you?' she asked, and Barry looked carefully at her to try and determine if she was just curious or being flirtatious. 'Is there no one to worry about you?'

Barry sighed and shook his head. It must have been curiosity. Just like Iris, Felicity was far too beautiful to be interested in him. 'There's someone that I really like, but she just got engaged to her long term partner. She's so excited that she probably won't even notice if I go missing for a few days, and her father, my foster father, will probably think that I'm lying low for a while to deal with the news. He knows how I feel about her. Sorry, I didn't mean to dump all of my problems on you like that...' Barry tailed off as he realised that the woman had yet to introduce herself.

'Felicity,' the woman smiled broadly and held out her hand.

Barry took it and kissed it and watched as Felicity blushed. 'Barry. Hey, do you have any thing that I can eat? I'm pretty hungry.'

'Oh, of course! I'll get something sorted...' Felicity began, but was interrupted by a voice that came from a shadow in the doorway.

'Felicity. What. Is. Going. On?' a male voice demanded.

Barry turned and tried to catch a glimpse of the newcomer, but he was hidden in the shadows and his face was covered with a dark hood.

'Oh, Oliver, this is Barry, I found him wandering our hallways,' Felicity explained and indicated to Barry. Barry gave a small wave.

'Why didn't you throw him in the dungeon with the other trespassers? We can't have people know that I am here, Felicity,' Oliver growled and stalked closer. Barry craned his neck but he could still not get a good look at the man. His entire body was covered in clothes and he kept his head angled downwards. Barry frowned. There was something familiar about that hood and the way that the man held himself.

'Everyone knows you're here anyway Oliver! Besides he's not a trespasser!' Felicity protested. 'He was looking for shelter and fainted in the hall. He needed medical attention.'

'Others? Do you know their names?' Barry interrupted, and the man, Oliver, turned his full focus on Barry as Barry swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Barry assumed that Oliver's glare was meant to make him feel intimidated. The man's posture, arms crossed over his chest and the way he stood tall and straight, screamed power and dominance. Barry sat up straighter and ignored the slight twinge of pain from his ribs as he crossed his arms and glared at Oliver defiantly. 'Well?'

'Cisco Ramone and Caitlyn Snow,' Felicity answered and Oliver turned to glare at her. She flinched but held her ground, used to Oliver and his glares. Barry's defiance though, surprised her. For a man who was thin and wiry and who was dressed in sweatpants and an old t-shirt that she had dug up for him, he was surprisingly confident as he stared down Oliver.

Barry let out a sigh of relief and his shoulder's relaxed. 'At least they got out of the forest ok. You cant lock them up though, they're my friends!!'

'I can and you will join them!' Oliver insisted and moved even further into the room. 'Nobody is to come here without my express permission.'

Barry flinched as Oliver advanced towards him, but he did not back down. He stood on shaky legs to glare at Oliver. 'You do not know who you are messing with!'

'Neither do you!' Oliver threatened and reached behind his back for a bow that was no longer there.

'Oliver, Oliver,' Felicity stood up and put her tablet aside. She stood in front of Oliver with her hands on her hips and protested in a low whisper. 'Look, the others are no use to you, they are both in relationships already. This one is single, and quite honestly we are running out of time and options. Don't throw him in the dungeon with the others, make a trade, make him our guest. At least try and break the curse, for Thea's sake.'

Oliver sighed wearily and deflated at the mention of his sister. 'It's unlikely to work, you know that, right?'

'You have to try. You know that we may not be able to protect her when you go...Look at him, he's not afraid of you, that's a start,' Felicity insisted and placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder.

'He hasn't seen my face yet, Felicity,' Oliver growled low and glanced over at the young man. 'What makes you think that he will agree to those terms, anyway?'

Barry swayed where he stood and looked like he needed to lie down. Oliver watched him suck in a breath and regain his straight, defensive posture. He crossed his arms over his chest and directed a defiant glare at Oliver.

'He's hurt, hungry, tired. He needs somewhere to rest anyway and from the sounds of it his friends mean the world to him. He can't refuse,' Felicity explained, and hoped that she was right. She liked Barry already, and he didn't seem like he would take any shit from Oliver either.

'Barry,' Oliver turned and ordered gruffly. Barry raised an eyebrow cheekily at him and Oliver tried not to smile. 'You will stay here, as my prisoner, and I will release your friends.'

'That's blackmail!' Barry protested, and the cheeky fell from his face to be replaced with one of horror. 'You can't just demand that I give up my life. I have a job, a home in Central City, and you're crazy if you think that I'll give all that up to become your prisoner! I'll find my friends and free them myself!'

Barry forced himself to move in the direction of the door. He winced as his shattered ankle struggled to take his weight and cursed his inability to heal quickly right now.

Oliver growled and grabbed Barry by the scruff of his t-shirt. 'You will not leave, or I will kill your friends and chain you in the dungeons.'

Barry struggled briefly and pushed at Oliver's chest. Oliver thought that he saw a flash of something, lightning, in the other man's eyes and was stunned by the force of his glare. Barry's eyes betrayed a captivating strength and Oliver struggled to glare back. Instead, he looked away and began to drag Barry out the door and down the stairs.

'Hey, where are you taking him?' Felicity protested and grabbed Oliver's arm.

'Dungeons,' Oliver growled and brushed her off. 'And don't try to stop me.'

Felicity fell to the floor with a thud and glared at Oliver's retreating back. She pushed herself to her feet, fully intent on following Oliver to try and change his mind and give him a piece of hers. How dare he shove her? She began to head down the stairs, but was halted when a firm hand grasped her shoulder.

'Felicity, I don't think that there is any talking to Oliver at the moment,' John Diggle commented and winced as his arm twinged. 'He's always grumpy after his medication dose and particularly so this afternoon because I thought it would cheer him up to spar with me.'

'He didn't hurt you did he?' Felicity asked, concerned.

John shook his head. 'Only my pride, and his own. Give him an hour to calm down and then we can try and sort this mess out.'

Felicity nodded. 'Let me know when Oliver is out of the way, won't you? Barry's really malnourished and I need to get him something to eat before he passes out again.'

'Barry?' John asked with a raised eyebrow.

Felicity nodded. 'Our new 'prisoner.' He's nice, Dig. Really nice. It's just a shame about Oliver...'

'Yeah, he's even more impossible than usual lately. I think the reality of his situation is starting to hit him hard. I'll let you know when he's out of the way,' John replied and held up his phone.

'Thanks, John,' Felicity answered and started across the mansion to the kitchen to find some food for Barry.

\---

Meanwhile in the dungeons, Oliver unlocked an empty cell with his right hand, shoved Barry inside roughly and slammed the door shut. Barry cried out as he hit the floor, but stood and faster than a blink of an eye was back at the bars. He reached through a slender arm to punch Oliver in the chest as he turned the key in the lock. Oliver frowned. He had barely managed to get the door shut before the man had attacked him and his chest twinged where Barry had hit him with a surprising amount of force for someone of such a slight build.

'You can't keep me here!' Barry yelled in Oliver's face and let loose another punch.

This time Oliver was ready for it and grabbed Barry's fist mid swing. 'I can and I will, Barry,' Oliver insisted, and released Barry's wrist to stalk off back up the stairs.

'Oliver!' Barry yelled and pounded his fists against the bars, frustrated, tired and hungry. His pleas were ignored and Barry sighed.

'Barry!'

Barry turned and saw Caitlyn huddled up to Cisco on the floor of the cell next to his.

'Caitlyn, Cisco! Are you ok?' Barry asked as he looked them both over with a worried look in his eyes.

'We're fine. Apart from Mr hooded dark and mysterious up there. Honestly I feel like I'm Maurice in Beauty and the Beast,' Cisco complained and stood to dust himself off.

'So who does that make Belle? Me or Barry?' Caitlyn humoured him and smiled.

'I don't know!' Cisco exclaimed and helped Caitlyn to her feet. 'I hadn't thought it out any further than that.'

'Well, he did order me to exchange myself for your freedom, so I guess that means me,' Barry laughed. 'Only I said no, and then he got really pissed off and threw me down here.'

'Way to go, Barry,' Cisco grumbled. 'You do realise that you could have accepted and then run away, right?'

Barry frowned and looked down. 'I suppose that I could have. Felicity is nice enough. Oliver was just all up in my face and he didn't even ask me what I wanted, he just demanded that I stay as if I'd be ok with it!'

'Yeah, he called us trespassers, but he left his door unlocked!' Caitlyn huffed. 'It was cold and wet and we couldn't find you. We just wanted somewhere to shelter for the night so that we could start looking again in the morning.'

'Why didn't you call a cab and get home?' Barry asked and advanced towards the bars which separated him from his friends. 'It was really dangerous out there.'

'We wanted to find you and make sure that you were OK,' Caitlyn insisted and moved to hug him as best as she was able to through the bars. 'You were fighting your nemesis after all, and that didn't go so well last time.'

Barry frowned and returned the hug sadly. He winced as his ribs twinged again when Caitlyn held particularly tightly and he was pressed to the bars.

'You're hurt!' Caitlyn exclaimed when she noticed Barry wince. 'How bad is it?'

Barry sighed. 'A lot of fractures and bruising, it's possible that I had a broken bone, but I'm healing slowly. My super speed is failing me too.'

Cisco gasped. 'Dude you gonna be ok?'

Barry nodded. 'Yeah, it's coming back in bits and pieces, but I'm healing a lot slower than usual. I think that the stress of the fight, the fall over the waterfall, my injuries and not eating anything for hours have all taken all taken a toll on me.'

'Barry, you need to get out of here. Who knows what will happen if you don't get some food soon. You could start to waste away really quickly,' Caitlyn worried. 'Normally when you're injured we can give you a top up of nutrients via IV at the lab to help you heal faster, but I can't treat you properly here.'

'Yeah,' Cisco agreed and looked Barry up and down. Realisation lit up his face and he glared at Barry. 'Barry....where's my suit?'

Barry tugged self consciously at the hem of the t-shirt that Felicity had leant him. 'I had a bit of an incident. I had to phase through the front door of this place to get away from some wolves, but the suit didn't go with me. I think it was torn to shreds. Sorry dude,' Barry shrugged.

'Sorry, you're sorry? Do you have any idea how much work I put into that thing!' Cisco protested and ran his hands through his hair.

'Cisco, Calm down!' Caitlyn insisted. 'Would you rather Barry had been torn to shreds?'

'Spose not,' Cisco grumbled. 'But you owe me one dude. You're lucky that I have a spare back at the lab!'

A knock on the bars startled them all.

'Hey, Felicity,' Barry greeted and moved over to where she stood by the door.

'Hey, are you ok?' Felicity asked as she moved towards Barry. Barry nodded and so Felicity continued with a sigh. 'I'm sorry about Oliver, really I am. He's just really cranky sometimes. If you promise to stay, at least for a couple of weeks, I'll free your friends and get you invited to dinner.'

'Why don't you just let us all go?' Caitlyn frowned. 'Wouldn't that be easier?'

'Ooh, unless she wants Barry all to herself!' Cisco exclaimed. 'It must get really lonely here with nothing but the beast for company...'

Barry shook his head at his friend incredulously. He frowned when Felicity smiled sadly..

'Oliver,' Felicity sighed deeply and put emphasis on his name, 'is pretty lonely and doesn't get much contact with the outside world. I thought maybe if he had a companion he would be happier...'

Barry thought carefully about his situation. He was injured anyway, and would never make it back to Central in his current state. Even with a ride back, he would probably be better to recover here before he attempted to move very far. There was also something that intrigued Barry about Oliver. He wondered what was behind Oliver's bristly outward attitude and the hood that was eerily similar to the one the vigilante of Starling City used to wear.

'All right, I'll do it,' Barry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 'Just let my friends go and make sure that they get back to Central safely, all right?'

Felicity nodded. 'I promise to have Laurel drive them back into the city.'

Cisco looked like he was about to protest but Barry held up a hand. 'Cisco, it will take me a while to recover from my injuries anyway. I'll be fine. Just make sure that you find Wells. He was laying around the river side.' Barry looked at them both meaningfully. Caitlyn raised her eyebrows in surprise and Barry nodded in confirmation.

Felicity unlocked the cells and let Barry hug his friends. Laurel had slipped in unnoticed ready to escort them to safety and stood by Felicity's side. 'My dad works with that kid, Felicity, don't keep him here against his will too long or you'll have trouble.'

'I won't. It's just until Oliver...' Felicity choked back a sob and Laurel held her close.

'It's all right, I understand. But this kid? He's not Ollie's usual type,' Laurel commented.

'Maybe that's what he needs,' Felicity sighed deeply. 'I know, it's a long shot, but I'm getting desperate and Oliver's birthday isn't far off. Barry isn't afraid of Oliver, I just thought that maybe...' both women turned to look at the group as Felicity trailed off.

'I'll make sure that they get back to Central safely,' Laurel promised. 'And I'll try and cover for Barry's disappearance as long as I can.'

'Thanks, Laurel,' Felicity smiled.

'Good luck,' Laurel offered. 'Keep me posted on his condition won't you?'

Felicity nodded as they waited for the friends to say goodbye. 'Of course.'

Barry held Caitlyn and Cisco both at once and whispered, 'Don't worry about me. I may be starving and feeling weak right now, but I'll heal fast, and as soon as I do I'll be out of here faster than they can stop me.'

'What if he chains you up?' Cisco whispered back.

'I'll phase out, it'll be fine,' Barry smiled. 'Get back to Kendra and Ronnie, and if Firestorm can protect the city whilst I'm out of action that would be great.'

'Ok.'Caitlyn nodded and smiled sadly. 'Bye Barry.'

'Good luck man,' Cisco offered and clapped him on the back before the pair turned to leave with Laurel.

Barry turned to Felicity. 'So, what now?'

'Let me show you to somewhere more comfortable to rest,' Felicity smiled. 'There are plenty of spare rooms, but I'll put you near John and I.'

'Thanks, I think I'll heal a lot faster if I have a bed to sleep on and not a pile of straw.' Barry grimaced at the cell that had been his temporary prison. He followed Felicity up two flights of stairs and into a long corridor. The walls were covered in pictures, which were dimly lit up by overhead lights that did little to brighten the corridor. Barry paused as a large portrait caught his attention. Two parents, proud and tall, a teenage boy, handsome and captivating, and a young girl who the boy held in his arms. She was clearly his world.

'Oh, that's Oliver,' Felicity gushed. 'Wasn't he a handsome teenager?'

Barry nodded but said nothing. There was something familiar about the family, but Barry couldn't put his finger on it. He couldn't imagine how the Oliver in the painting, who looked happy, was the same man who had growled at him and thrown him in a cell.

After a few moments Felicity shook her head and continued down the hall. She pushed open a door near a large grand staircase. 'This is you. Make yourself at home. There are some clothes in the wardrobe that are probably your size, if you fancy a change,' Felicity offered and indicated to his sweats and t-shirt, which were a little dirty from the cell floor.

Barry smiled and moved slowly into the room. 'I think that I'll take you up on that.'

Barry glanced around the room. It was at least three times the size of his room at home and the furniture had a rustic look to it: In a house as large as this, it must have been antique. Everything was old and looked solid and the centrepiece of the room was a large four poster bed with red covers. Barry smiled softly: the shade matched the Flash suit nearly perfectly. He moved over to one of the large windows which sat either side of the bed and looked out at the cherry blossom trees. They were full of bright petals, a sharp contrast to the dark, intimidating shape of the house itself.

'Pretty, aren't they? Felicity commented sadly. 'When all the petals have fallen, they say that spring will have ended and summer will begin.'

Barry frowned and turned back to her. It was odd that she would be sad at such a thing. He did not have long to think about it though. Oliver appeared in the doorway, hood still up.

'If we are going to do this,' Oliver glared at Felicity, 'Then you may treat this place as if it were your own, however the only restriction is that you must not set foot in the basement. It's off limits.'

'Wow, this is more and more like a fairytale every day. Dungeons, wolves, a mansion in the middle of nowhere, and now a forbidden wing,' Barry joked and Felicity got that haunted look in her eyes again that caused Barry to pause and frown. He chanced a glance at Oliver, who shot him a glare. Something odd was clearly going on here and if he were stuck here for a while, Barry was determined to find out what.

Oliver glanced over at Felicity who nodded encouragingly towards Barry. Oliver turned and growled at Barry. 'You will join me for dinner tonight.'

Barry glared at Oliver and crossed his arms over his chest. His stomach gave a twinge of protest, but there was no way he was going to let Oliver order him around. 'No, thank you.'

'It wasn't a request,' Oliver frowned. 'You eat with me or not at all.'

'I'll take the latter.' Barry muttered and turned away to stare out of the window, resolved to go hungry for now against Caitlyn's advice.

Oliver looked at Felicity and shrugged. 'I tried,' he muttered quietly and stalked out. Felicity sighed and followed him. Oliver stopped outside the door and pulled it shut. Felicity watched as he slid a key out of his pocket and locked the door.

'Oliver! You can't lock him in!' Felicity protested.

'I meant what I said. I need him to like me, Felicity, and he can't do that if he refuses to spend any time with me. He has to eat eventually and when he does it will be with me,' Oliver insisted and glared at her as if daring her to challenge him.

Felicity sighed. 'Fine. Fine. Give me that key.'

'Felicity...' Oliver warned.

'I promise that I will not bring him down to dinner unless you are going to be there.' Felicity rolled her eyes. 'Someone has to convince him to join you, and Barry likes me. I can't convince him without that key though.'

'Fine,' Oliver grumbled and handed over the key. He began to walk away down the hall. Felicity followed him quickly. 'Good luck with that, he's as stubborn as you are.'

'If you tried being nice instead of ordering him around, he might be less stubborn. He's not afraid of you Oliver, that's something, right?' Felicity prodded as she jogged to catch up to him.

'I haven't had a man in a long time, Felicity. For all we know, he's straight or homophobic,' Oliver protested and flinched when Felicity grabbed his arm. No matter what they tried, his scars still hurt as if they were fresh.

'Then try to make a new friend,' Felicity insisted and let go of Oliver's arm when he turned to face her in the hallway. 'You've been lonely since the others left, Laurel and Roy and Ray and Lyla. I can tell that it's been even worse since Lyla had Sara and John hasn't been around as much. It's often just me and you nowadays, and that's a bit awkward now because of everything that happened. Even your sister hasn't been around much since Roy and Laurel left. I think that she's struggling to see you get worse.'

'I'm struggling to see me get worse. This curse can only be stopped by something that I am beginning to believe doesn't exist,' Oliver grumbled but felt the first stirrings of panic curl within chest. It was as if there was an invisible timer above his head and Felicity would never be able to understand what he was going through. The only way to get over his unstable feelings in the past had been physical exertion and although weakened, Oliver knew that he needed that more than ever now. 'I'm going to train. Don't follow me.'

'See you at dinner,' Felicity sighed and watched Oliver stalk off towards the basement. She turned away to head back along the hallway towards the kitchens.

'Stubborn men,' she grumbled. As soon as dinner was ready she would return and convince Barry to join them. If her last ditch plan was ever going to work, then the boys clearly needed a push, and if anyone knew how to do that, it was her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed part one, I hope to have part two up tomorrow, although it is my mum's birthday so we shall see :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry has his first sensible conversation with Oliver and has a few adventures around the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, Thank you so much for all your interest in this little project of mine :) 
> 
> Chapter 2 is being posted a little later than I would like (the next morning my time zone) because although I had finished editing this last night, it was done in a 'too much food induced super sleepy state' so I wanted to double check a few things when I was more with it :) Times like that I wished that I had Barry's fast metabolism!
> 
> Anyway, Chapter 2

Barry glanced at his watch. It had been an hour since Oliver and Felicity had left him alone, and it probably wasn't late enough to sneak down to the kitchens and grab something to eat yet. He didn't want to risk running into Oliver but Barry felt a desperate twinge in his stomach and wondered if his speed would hold up long enough to get there and back unnoticed. It was worth a try, if he could find the kitchen that is.

Barry stood and stretched his arms above his head and winced when his right arm ached. The shirt he had changed into after Felicity left rode up and exposed a shallow cut on his stomach. Barry sighed. He needed to eat to kick start the healing process. At the moment the injury was still red and raw. He started towards the door and groaned as the borrowed pair of jeans rode low on his hips. Barry paused to tighten his belt and then twisted the door handle.

'That can't be right,' Barry frowned and jiggled the handle harder. 'They locked me in?'

Barry reached forward and placed his left palm flat on the door next to the handle. It would not be a challenge to unlock the door and Barry prepared to vibrate his hand.

Just as he was about to unlock the door, Barry heard a click as the lock disengaged and jumped back as the door knob turned. 

'Felicity!' Barry exclaimed. 'Are you here to rescue me?'

Felicity laughed nervously and indicated to the door. 'Sorry about that, Oliver...'

'I get it. He doesn't trust me, and he wants me to starve,' Barry joked grimly.

'Oh, no, no it's not that,' Felicity insisted quickly. 'He just has very bad manners. I'm sorry about him. He should know better than to order people around by now, but he's been ruder than ever since he got ill. You must be starving, come on, let's get you something to eat.'

'Oliver is ill?' Barry asked as he followed her out of the room and down the large staircase. 

Felicity nodded. 'It's pretty debilitating and causes him a lot of pain. We also don't get a lot of visitors, I think that he's forgotten how to act around people. You can join me and Thea and Dig for dinner.' 

'Are you sure that it's OK? Shouldn't you be sneaking me to the kitchens and telling me to help myself?' Barry asked, and part of him hoped that she would do as he suggested so that he could eat as much as he needed without raising suspicion. He didn't know these people well enough yet to trust them with his secret. 

'Oh, don't worry, Oliver is in another of his moods and it's really unlikely that he will join us tonight. He usually wants to be by himself when he's sulking,' Felicity explained and plastered a smile on her face. She hoped that Barry would not see through her lie.

Barry laughed as they entered a room with a large table. 'All right then, sure. I really am hungry.'

'Good, because I think that I overdid it,' a young woman frowned as she looked at the banquet on the table. 'I'm Thea, and this is John Diggle. You must be Barry.'

Barry smiled. 'Yeah, how did you know?'

'Felicity will not shut up about you,' Thea laughed. 'She seems to think that you'll make a good friend for Ollie.'

'Really? Felicity, he's been nothing but a jerk to me so far!' Barry protested and sat beside her near the head of the table.

'He grows on you,' Diggle commented. 

Barry shrugged and helped himself to a large bowl of stew. He waited until the others turned their attention to each other for a moment and demolished the whole bowl in seconds, thankful that he managed to maintain his speed for long enough to eat. He was helping himself to his third bowl when the other's seemed to notice him again. 

'Hey how much are you going to eat, slow down, you'll give yourself indigestion!' Thea exclaimed

'Oh, I have a big appetite.' Barry grinned. 'This is actually pretty normal for me.'

Felicity frowned in shock and Thea looked on with her mouth open. 'You weren't kidding when you said that you were hungry,' Felicity laughed.

'Yeah,' Barry nodded and looked around for a change of subject. The hall that they were in was spacious with a large, vaulted ceiling and Barry wondered if anyone else lived here. 'Big house for 4 people,' Barry commented.

'There used to be more of us,' Diggle turned to Barry 'but some of them couldn't stick Oliver's attitude any more, and left.'

'So, what are you like his servants? Carers?' Barry asked, eyes alight with curiosity. Surely they couldn't be...

'Friends,' Felicity replied and indicated to herself and John.

Thea smiled sadly. 'I'm his sister.'

'Oh wow, you guys are nothing alike,' Barry observed, and wondered how someone so nice was related to Oliver.

'Hey, Ollie used to have a pretty face, just like mine!' Thea protested indignantly.

Barry shook his head and held up his hands. 'I wasn't saying anything about his looks! I just meant that you're a lot friendlier than he is!'

'Well when you've been through what Oliver's been through, it's hard to be bubbly and optimistic like you are,' Thea replied sarcastically. 

'I take it back, you guys are definitely related! Seriously, this is more and more like a fairytale the longer I stay here, creepy mansion, grumpy host, although if I didn't know any better I'd say that you and Oliver are what's left of the Queen family, and we all know the rumours...' Barry trailed off as he saw Oliver wander in from a side entrance. He saw the man quickly pull up his hood before he walked further into the room. 

'What. Is. He. Doing. Here? Felicity?' Oliver growled as he took a seat at the head of the table next to Barry.

'Eating?' Felicity answered and held her breath for the explosion. 

'I specifically said that he was not to eat unless he ate with me,' Oliver glared at her, filled a bowl and took a bite. 

'And look at that, I am,' Barry retorted with a grin as he nodded at Oliver's bowl.

Oliver looked surprised and was stunned into silence. Barry took that moment to help himself to another bowl and ignored Felicity's raised eyebrow. Even Barry couldn't believe that he was still hungry, even for him this was a lot of food.

'That's...That's not...' Oliver spluttered.

'Ollie dear, he's right,' Thea smiled and sent a look of surprised respect Barry's way.

Oliver sighed. 'Fine.'

Oliver began to eat and kept his head down, content to ignore everyone around him.

Felicity had to stop herself from smacking her head against the table in annoyance. How, exactly, was Oliver supposed to get to know Barry if he refused to even talk to him? She had already done the hard work. She had tricked Barry into the dining room for dinner under the impression that Oliver would not be there and convinced Oliver that he needed to eat, no matter how upset he was. It looked like she would have to get them to talk to each other too. Time to go to work.

'So, Barry, you said that you were from Central city?' Felicity smiled. Now that Oliver was here it was time to get to know Barry a little better. 'What's it like there?'

'Better than Starling city,' Barry smiled. 'The crime rate is manageable, the people are mostly friendly, and the meta-humans are kept in line. We even have our own superhero!'

Oliver looked up with interest. 'Meta-humans?'

Barry looked surprised that Oliver had spoken but recovered quickly. 'Oh, we had an incident a little over a year ago where a particle accelerator exploded and caused changes to the DNA of some of the population. A lot of the people affected developed super powers, but so far there are only two who are using their powers for good. The Flash keeps the rest in line.'

'The Flash?' Oliver prompted. He had heard rumours of a Central city vigilante, but had not confirmed them.

'Central city's own superhero speedster. He wears a hood too.' Barry frowned. 'Well, more like a cowl really. Why are you wearing a hood anyway?'

'My appearance disturbs people,' Oliver ground out and looked down at his food in an attempt to signal that the discussion was over.

Barry saw Felicity shake her head out of the corner of his eye, in an attempt to discourage him from pushing the issue further. Barry was not phased and blurted out, 'I'm not easily disturbed. Take it down.'

'I don't think that's a good idea, Barry,' Oliver insisted and folded his arms across his chest.

'I don't see what the big deal is,' Barry exclaimed and stared Oliver down. 

'Fine, you asked for it!' Oliver yelled and pulled down his hood.

Barry drew in a sharp breath of surprise as he got a good look at Oliver's face for the first time. Felicity, Thea and Diggle watched him carefully to see his reaction. Barry took in Oliver's features with a critical eye. There was no doubt in Barry's mind that Oliver had once been very handsome. Now however, scar's littered his face, over his cheeks, under his eyes, across his forehead and down his neck. Barry was sure that the scars continued down his chest too. He looked closer and noticed that some of the scars were red and raw where the skin had not closed back together, as if they had not healed properly. It must have been painful. No wonder Oliver was so abrupt and grumpy. What stood out the most though, even with the extensive scarring, were Oliver's eyes. Crystal blue and captivating. The kind of eyes that you did not forget easily. A jolt of realisation sparked through Barry that for once had nothing to do with the speed force. 

'I was right, you guys are the Queen's. What happened?' Barry asked and ate some more food as he waited for one of them to confirm his theory. 

Thea nodded sadly and when she noticed that Oliver had again been stunned into silence, she turned to Barry. 'That's us. We fell on hard times after Oliver was...injured.' 

'You're not disturbed?' Oliver blurted out, surprise evident on his face. 

Barry shrugged. 'I work as a CSI for the Central city police department, I see all kinds of things. This one corpse, the cheeks had been blown apart from the inside by miniature bombs. Poor guy's face was barely recognisable. We had to identify him from his dental records.' Barry indicated to Oliver's face. 'Believe me, I've seen worse.'

Oliver raised an eyebrow at him and Barry realised what he had said. 

'Not that your face is bad or anything, I mean, you're actually pretty handsome underneath all those scars, not that I'm looking or anything, and...I should stop talking now,' Barry sighed and focused back on his food, only to look up in shock a second later when Oliver laughed. 

'Were you and Felicity separated at birth?' Oliver teased, but his eyes were bright and he had a small smile on his face. 

Barry smiled back playfully. 'No, if we were, it would make that kiss really awkward.' 

'You kissed her?' Oliver exclaimed, and glared at Felicity.

Barry laughed and clapped Oliver gently on the shoulder, mindful of his injuries. 'No, I was just messing with you. Should have seen your face.'

Oliver sighed, but Felicity could tell it was fond. This was going better than she had expected. She thought around for a new topic of conversation, but Oliver surprised her and beat her to it.

'So, you work for the police? Oliver asked and leant his elbows on the table to prop up his face with his hands.

'Yeah. We got this new guy transfer from Starling city recently, Detective Lance, you might have heard of him?' Barry asked as he pushed away his 6th bowl unfinished, and mirrored Oliver's position.

Oliver nodded and his eyes widened in surprise. A quick glance at Felicity proved that this was news to her too. 'I have, but I didn't know that he had transferred away from Starling.'

'Apparently the city went to hell about six months ago when the vigilante disappeared and Lance couldn't take it any more. Lance is still obsessed with catching the vigilante though, even though no one has heard from the hood since he vanished. Honestly, for a minute there I thought that you were him. There were always those rumours about you and he wears a green hood too. I mean it didn't make any sense given that green is poor urban camouflage, but the colour did suit him.' Barry sighed. 'It's sad, Starling city used to be defended just like Central is, but now it's lost its hero.'

'You think that the vigilante is a hero?' Felicity asked and looked pointedly at Oliver. Oliver looked away and exhaled heavily. He was tired of the constant argument between himself and Felicity over the Arrow's status. She maintained that he was a hero too, but Oliver insisted that he wasn't that good. 

'Of course! He's a legend!' Barry replied and his eyes shone with admiration. He noticed Oliver's dark look and continued with a small frown. 'All right, sometimes he breaks the law, and sometimes he takes things too far, but it looked to me like he was turning over a new leaf: he hadn't killed in ages before he disappeared, and even one of his worst enemies only lost a hand instead of his life!' 

'You sound like you're stalking him,' Thea laughed.

Barry blushed slightly. 'No, not really. I mean I guess it could come across that way... I'm just fascinated by his work. He's been involved in a lot of impossible cases, and I used to follow impossible cases obsessively before I was struck by lightning. When I woke up, Central city was involved in so many impossible cases that I couldn't keep up with my blog any more, and then the Arrow vanished.'

'You were struck by lightning and you're still alive?' Thea exclaimed.

'Oh most lightning strike victims survive,' Diggle commented. 'But they often have brain damage or other adverse affects. My cousin was struck by lightning once, he has a stutter now, and near constant muscle spasms.'

'You don't seem to have any adverse affects at all though,' Felicity frowned thoughtfully. 'Oh! That light spidery scarring on your right arm, I wondered what it was when I examined your arm for breaks earlier, but now I get it. It's a Lictenburg scar, right?' 

Barry nodded. 'I got lucky really, that scar is the only lasting damage from the strike. Although I was in a coma for 9 months.'

'Wow, you call that lucky?' Thea exclaimed. That was like Oliver saying he was lucky to be stranded on an island for five years. 'You must have missed so much.'

'Yeah, I did,' Barry sighed, and Oliver noticed the way that his shoulder's slumped and he leant more heavily on his left hand. Sad didn't really suit the young man, and Oliver felt a sudden urge to try and cheer him up and get back to the easy smiles and grins of earlier. 

'So why the interest in impossible cases?' Oliver asked and hoped that the change of subject would brighten the young man's mood.

Barry looked down at the table and his shoulder's shook slightly. Felicity could see him take a deep breath.

'You don't have to answer if you don't want to,' Felicity offered and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

'No, it's OK.' Barry took another deep breath and then looked up at Oliver. 'When I was eleven, my mom was murdered by something impossible. A blur of yellow light, and in that light, I saw a man. No one would believe me, I was just a kid, but I swear that it's the truth. My father went to prison for her murder, but he didn't do it. Ever since then I had been looking into anything else unusual to try and find the real killer.'

'I'm so sorry, Barry,' Felicity offered.

'Tough break, man,' Diggle sympathised and Thea nodded beside him.

'You said that you had been looking,' Oliver asked carefully after a pause. 'Something happened, didn't it?'

Barry sighed and nodded. 'I recently caught up to the guy that killed my mom, but he died before I could get a confession out of him. Now my dad will serve a life sentence and there's no hope for his release.' Barry stood and felt a wave of exhaustion threaten to overcome him. 'Thanks for dinner, I think I'll go to bed now.'

'Good night Barry,' Felicity and Thea offered sadly. Diggle waved him off and Oliver nodded and looked down in thought as Barry left the room.

Felicity glared at Oliver after the young man had left. Oliver noticed as soon as he glanced up.

'What? It's not my fault, Felicity!' Oliver protested. 'How was I supposed to know that his mother was murdered!'

'You could have sympathised instead of pressing the issue!' Felicity protested.

'You were the one who said that I should get to know him better!' Oliver huffed and stood up. 'See you tomorrow.'

Thea stood to hug him. 'Night Ollie.'

'Goodnight, Thea.' Oliver pressed a kiss to her hair and nodded to Diggle before he left the room.

'Well, that didn't go too badly,' Diggle commented.

Thea nodded. 'I like Barry, he's nice. I've never seen Ollie go for another man before, but who knows?'

'I didn't know that Barry was a fan of the vigilante,' Felicity smiled. 'At least if Oliver tells him, they may find something to bond over, as well as the fact that they both seem to have gone through hell.' Felicity frowned. She never would have guessed that Barry had such a dark past, and supposed that she couldn't blame Oliver if he wanted to know all the details.

'Never seen anyone stand up to Oliver like that either,' Diggle laughed. 'You were right Felicity, kid has no fear.'

Thea smiled. 'We can only see what happens tomorrow. I'm going out for a bit with Laurel, I'll see you tomorrow.'

'See you later, Thea,' Felicity waved.

'Be careful,' Diggle warned. 

Thea nodded and left the room. 

'You're sure that no one will notice Barry is missing?' Diggle asked Felicity once they were alone. 'I'm not comfortable keeping a member of the police force hostage.'

Felicity nodded. 'Laurel said that she would cover for Barry the best that she can. It's not for long anyway, John. It will be nice for Oliver to have some company in the coming weeks. You know he's been a little lonely since Roy left.'

John nodded. 'All right, just keep an eye on the Central city police channels, will you? The moment they put a BOLO on him, we let him go.'

Felicity nodded. 'I'll go and set up the alert now.'

'I'm heading home to Lyla, it's late and I should have been home hours ago,' John frowned. 'See you tomorrow Felicity.

'Good night, John,' Felicity offered and headed towards the lab to her computer. 

 

–--

 

The next morning, Central city

 

Caitlyn Snow sighed as Cisco locked the pipeline. 'Are you sure we need to do that, Cisco? He's dead, he's not going anywhere.'

Cisco nodded his head. 'I'm not taking any chances. He gave me the creeps when he was alive, and I'm not having his corpse in the cortex or in my lab. If you had seen any zombie films at all, you would understand.'

Caitlyn smiled, amused. 'Fine, you're the expert. So what now?'

'We call detective West and see if finding the man in yellow is enough to clear Henry. It's the least we can do for Barry after he traded himself to the beast for us,' Cisco frowned and removed his lolly pop from his mouth before he dialled. He followed Caitlyn back to the cortex and put the phone on loud speaker as he waited for Joe to answer.

'Cisco, what's up?' Joe answered on the third ring.

'There was an incident. The man in yellow is dead. Could you come over to the labs when you get a chance? We want to know if there's anything we can do for Barry's dad,' Cisco explained quickly. 

'I'll be there as soon as I can,' Joe replied and hung up.

'I think he must have been at the station, or somewhere he couldn't talk. He didn't ask any questions,' Cisco frowned. 'I guess now we wait.'

Caitlyn nodded and sat at her desk. She brought up an article on Oliver Queen and his mysterious disappearance. 'I'm worried about Barry. You know, I heard that place is the old Queen mansion. Everything I can find on Queen says that he lost his mind when he was cursed a few months back. What if he hurts Barry?'

Cisco shrugged. 'Barry can take care of himself. As soon as he's better he'll be back here before we know it.'

'But what if they lock him back in the dungeon's and don't feed him?' Caitlyn worried, and bit her lower lip.

'Felicity won't let that happen, she seemed nice enough,' Cisco replied with dreamy eyes.

'You realise that you have a girlfriend, right?' Caitlyn slapped his arm. 'Anyway, she won't stick up for Barry just because she's hot. Oliver is scary, intimidating, she's probably terrified of him.'

'Ow, I know, I know. I have Kendra, she's fantastic. Doesn't mean that I can't appreciate beauty when I see it,' Cisco grumbled and looked to the door. 

'Cisco, Caitlyn,' Joe nodded as he came in. 'What happened? Is Barry OK?'

'He's fine,' Cisco lied smoothly. 

'Where is he then?' Joe frowned. 

'He dashed off after we locked up Wells, haven't seen him since,' Cisco covered. 'He said something about chasing down something in Starling city?'

'Really?' Joe frowned. 'He must be taking Iris' news harder than I thought.'

'Something happened with Iris?' Caitlyn asked curiously.

Joe nodded. 'She told me that Eddie proposed to her. She was going to tell Barry yesterday over coffee. If he's run all the way to Starling he must be taking it harder than she thought he did.'

'Wow, tough break,' Cisco sympathised. 'Do you want to see the body?'

Joe sighed. 'May as well. Although without him alive to confess, getting Henry out is going to be difficult. Barry probably realised that too. Between this and Iris he must be feeling awful right now.'

'It was an accident,' Caitlyn explained and thought back to Barry's meaningful look in the dungeon. 'You're right, Barry wasn't too happy about it.'

'Poor kid's having a rough week. I'll give him space for now, we all should, and I'll cover for him with the Captain. If I haven't heard from him by tomorrow I'll give him a call.' Joe nodded decisively and stuffed his hands in his pockets. 'All right, show me the man in yellow.'

Cisco nodded and headed towards the pipeline. Caitlyn caught up to him and whispered in his ear. 'I hope you're right and Barry doesn't get hurt, because lying to Joe, Cisco? That's his son Oliver Queen has hostage.'

'I don't think that Barry is in danger,' Cisco whispered back and Caitlyn glared at him. Cisco rolled his eyes. 'Look, if he doesn't return in a couple of days, when he should definitely be healed enough to run away, then we can get CCPD involved and storm the castle. Until then, we wait.'

'Fine. But I hope you know what you're doing,' Caitlyn sighed as they reached the pipeline and showed Joe the body of the man that had tormented Barry's nightmares for years.

 

\---

 

The next morning, Queen mansion

 

When Barry woke the next morning, he felt well rested. He rolled over to sit up on the edge of the bed and stretched his arms above his head. His right arm still hurt, although it felt as if it had partially healed at least. It was probably nothing more than a small fracture now compared to the break it had probably been yesterday at the river side. His chest and ribs felt a little sore, but it was nothing compared to the pain of yesterday. Food and a good nights sleep in a comfortable bed had done wonders for his injuries and it looked like his speed healing was back on track. Barry glanced down at his leg. The gash had healed completely along with the rest of the cuts and bruises that he had received when he fell over the waterfall. 

Barry stood and tested his legs. He let out a sigh of relief when he barely any pain. He dressed much slower than usual and had just pulled a clean t-shirt over his head when his attention was drawn to a noise from outside, a twang, whoosh thunk, on repeat. Barry was in front of the window before he had realised he had moved. He groaned and held a hand to his chest. Super-speed still hurt slightly at the moment. 

Barry opened the window and sat on the ledge. He swung his legs over the edge so that they dangled outside and gazed around the garden below to try and find the source of the noises. With his left hand, Barry held the edge of the window frame as he leant forward slightly. The wind ruffled his hair and Barry caught sight of Oliver in the garden below, letting loose arrows at moving targets.

'No way! Is he really...?' Barry exclaimed, and leant forward further. 

Barry frowned and watched closely as Oliver hit each target dead centre. Looking closer, it looked like Oliver was struggling to keep the bow steady and to pull back the string. Barry closed his eyes in an attempt to remember the pictures of the vigilante which always appeared on the news, and yes. Oliver was using his left hand to pull back the string, but the vigilante always used his right. It was still pretty cool that Oliver could shoot though and Barry couldn't deny that he wanted to get a closer look. 

If his speed was pain free at the moment, it would have been easy to run down the side of the building. As it was, Barry was unsure if he could hold out long enough to get to the ground safely. Barry looked at the tree near his window and began to formulate a plan in his mind. He reached out with his good arm and grasped the tree trunk. It felt sturdy and did not wobble when he shook it. Good. Barry pulled himself to his feet and looked at the gap between the windowsill and the tree branch critically. He looked down at his legs and judged the distance to be manageable, especially with his long legs. He was only three floors up. If he fell, he would only sustain mild injuries, nothing that he couldn't handle. 

Barry grasped the tree and stepped carefully across the gap. He looked down and sighed, relieved when the branch barely moved under his weight. Barry lowered himself to sit on the branch and carefully made his way down the tree.

It was going really well until Barry lost his footing on a wet branch and felt his feet swing out under him. Barry cursed as he fell and he reached out to try get a grip on another branch. His left arm scraped against the tree trunk but before he could fall further his right arm caught hold of a branch. Barry winced in agony and scrabbled to bring his left arm up to help support his weight. He pushed past the pain and pulled himself up to sit on the branch. That could not have done his fractured arm any good.

Barry looked over towards Oliver but the man was focused on his shooting and had not noticed his predicament, or his fumbling. Barry took a deep breath and when he had gained his breath back, he continued down the tree. He made it to the bottom without further incident and glanced up at how far down he had come. He had come a long way from the normal lab assistant he once was. Before he got his powers he never would have climbed so recklessly out of a window and to do so without using them was an achievement to be proud of.

Barry brushed himself off and wandered closer to Oliver. The spring sun was warm on his back and Barry marvelled at the way it brightened the gloomy mansion into something less scary. He chose a spot behind Oliver and to the left, near the wall of the mansion. Barry lowered himself to sit in the grass and leant back to rest his back against the wall. He closed his eyes momentarily and tilted his head up to bask in the sun. 

A few moments later, Barry opened his eyes and watched as Oliver moved slowly but with precision, and fired off arrows in slow succession. In the light of day, Oliver looked pale and sickly and his moments were slow and careful, as if he were in pain. 

As he watched, Barry couldn't help but notice Oliver pick up the pace and let loose arrow after arrow in a quick volley. Each one struck its target perfectly. For his final three arrows, Oliver ducked and dived in a roll, only to spring up and let loose all three arrows at once. They struck three vertical targets at the exact moment that they aligned one above the other and Barry could not help but cheer enthusiastically. 

Oliver flung his bow over his back and immediately headed for Barry.

'Wow, you could give the Arrow a run for his money!' Barry smiled, impressed.

'It looks like you were trying to be a vigilante yourself,' Oliver gave a small, amused smile. 'You could have just used the door.'

Barry flushed slightly. 'I don't know my way around here yet. I probably would have gotten lost.'

'Better that than injured, surely?' Oliver raised an eyebrow at Barry's arm and offered a hand to help him up.

'I'd rather take my chances with the tree. This place is huge, I could have been lost for weeks and starved before anyone noticed that I was gone!' Barry protested and accepted Oliver's hand to pull himself to his feet as Oliver laughed easily.

'Here, let me see,' Oliver held out a hand for Barry's arm. 

Barry held up his grazed arm without hesitation. 'I should probably have the other one in a cast, or at the very least a sling. It's fractured.'

Oliver sighed and rolled his eyes. 'So you thought that climbing a tree would be a good idea?'

Barry shrugged. 'I wanted to get a closer look. Do you think it will need stitches?'

Oliver shook his head. 'No, just cleaning. Come on, I can do that over breakfast, and then I'll give you a tour. Can't risk you climbing another tree in case you break your neck next time.'

Barry smiled as he followed Oliver inside and through into the room they had eaten in last night. 'It was only 3 stories up, I would have been fine!'

'You're not a super hero, Barry!' Oliver joked and pulled out a chair. He moved to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a medical kit.

Barry laughed and sat down with his arm outstretched. 'How do you know? You barely know anything about me.'

Oliver sat beside him and cleaned his arm with efficiency. Barry marvelled at the ease with which the supposedly spoilt billionaire treated his scrape. It was as if he had experience dealing with injuries.

'Plenty of time to get to know each other over breakfast,' Felicity smiled as she entered the room. 'Morning Barry, what happened to your arm?'

'I scraped it on a tree,' Barry explained. 'It's OK though, I'm in expert hands.'

Felicity laughed. 'I'll leave you two to it then, I promised Thea and Laurel that I'd help them track down Roy.'

'I don't think that he wants to be found, Felicity,' Oliver warned. 

Felicity waved him off. 'Oh, I know that. He's the love of your sister's life though and she just wants to know that he's OK. I'll see you later, Ollie.'

Oliver nodded and stood. He turned to Barry. 'Come on, let's get something to eat. Any requests?'

'Big Belly Burger?' Barry joked and followed Oliver into a large kitchen. 

Oliver smiled. 'I can't do that, but if you're after something hot, I can fry up something.'

'Please,' Barry nodded. 'I get really hungry. Ever since I woke up from a coma my metabolism is super fast and I need to eat a lot more than regular people.' 

It wasn't a lie, but it was more than he needed to share and may make Oliver suspicious. Still, Barry could not help but feel open around Oliver. Perhaps it was his theory that Oliver was the vigilante and was one of his kind which led him to share more with Oliver than he would anyone else that he had just met. 

Oliver opened the fridge and pulled out bacon, eggs, sausages and mushrooms. 'You're in luck, Felicity bought too much food again. She hasn't adjusted to Roy and Laurel leaving yet.'

Barry leant against the counter and crossed his arms. 'Roy was Thea's boyfriend?'

Oliver nodded as he set the food to fry and leant beside Barry. 'I don't think that he could take my temper or my condition any longer. Things have been going steadily downhill since my mother died.'

'I'm sorry,' Barry offered and placed a comforting hand on Oliver's shoulder. 'What condition do you have? If you don't mind me asking.'

Oliver sighed and pulled away to turn their food. 'I was cursed by a magician that I pissed off.'

Barry began to laugh, but one look at Oliver and he tailed off uncertainly. 'You're serious?'

Oliver nodded and dished out their food. His eyes scanned Barry's face carefully for any traces of disbelief and he was surprised when he saw none. He handed a plate to Barry who accepted it gratefully.

'Wow, and I thought that Central city had it's fair share of nut jobs. Tough break,' Barry muttered as he followed Oliver back to the dining room. 'Is that why your face is so scarred?'

'Part of the curse, yes. I also don't have the strength or stamina that I used to have,' Oliver sighed and was surprised when he felt like talking more. Barry was easy to talk to. 'These past few months haven't been easy, and I may have taken that out on the people around me a little too much.'

'Don't most curses have a cure? An out?' Barry frowned as he watched Oliver look blankly towards the window and took the chance to demolish half his plate of food. 

'Yes, but it's complicated,' Oliver sighed and turned to Barry. He noticed the speed at which Barry had eaten and frowned. He already had his suspicions: an emblem with a lightning bolt had been on the floor outside the front door of the mansion this morning and Barry did not seem bothered by his injuries much. Barry had also admitted to a fast metabolism, ate faster and more than any of them could, and was from a city where meta-humans were common. It was possible that he was one of them. Oliver decided that he would keep a close eye on Barry over the next few days. It was possible that Darhk had sent the young man to ensure his demise, although Oliver hoped not. He actually liked Barry. 

'How bad can it be?' Barry asked as he picked at his food at a more normal speed now that he had Oliver's attention, unaware of Oliver's suspicions. 

'The only way to break the curse is to fall in love, and have that person love me in return. I've tried, but nothing, not even my attempts with my closest friends, worked. I'm stuck like this for the rest of my life,' Oliver regarded him sadly and decided not to burden the young man with the fact that the rest of his life would not be that long.

'Wow, Cisco was nearly spot on with his Beauty and the Beast theory. There isn't an enchanted rose hidden in the basement is there?' Barry was unable to resist asking. 'I'm sorry, that was insensitive.'

Oliver's lips twitched into a smile. 'No, it's fine. There's no enchanted rose.'

'Probably just as well. To have the symbol of true love counting down your days? That's just cruel.' Barry frowned. 'Not that love isn't cruel anyway.'

'Do I sense bitterness?' Oliver smirked.

'No, no. I shouldn't be really.' Barry sighed and looked down at the table. 'It's just that my best friend, Iris, got engaged to her long term boyfriend. I should have expected it really, they've been living together for a while now. He's a typical pretty boy like you, not a gangly nerd like me, and she's beautiful. I should have known that I'd never have a shot.' 

'You're in love with her?' Oliver asked, and tried to keep the disappointment out of his tone.

Barry frowned and leant back in his chair. 'I don't even know any more. I'd been in love with her since I knew what love was. I even told her how I felt, but Eddie, her boyfriend, punched me in the face and she's thrown herself into their relationship ever since. I guess I just threw myself into my work and didn't want to dwell on it too much. If I think about it, I'm not in the right place to be in a relationship right now anyway, I'm far too busy with work. She deserves someone who can give her all the time in the world and make her happy.'

Oliver nodded. 'I can relate to that. There's always something else going on. It was even worse when I was trying to run QC on top of everything else.' 

'Didn't that get taken over by Ray Palmer?' Barry asked and finished his food.

'Yeah, he's doing a far better job than I ever was,' Oliver admitted. 'Although he did have help from Felicity. I don't think that I was cut out for corporate meetings and business management.'

'Maybe you should take up the vigilantes hood?' Barry suggested. 'You really are good with a bow, and I wasn't kidding when I said that Starling city has gone to hell without it's hero.'

'As much as I want to help, I couldn't, not with my poor stamina.' Oliver sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 'What use am I when I struggle to pull back my bow string?'

Barry could see that Oliver's shoulder's had tensed and his eyes had closed briefly. 

'You're frustrated, you feel helpless. I get that. I've been there.' Barry remembered clearly the time when Blackout had zapped his powers and attacked Star labs. He had never felt so helpless since he had gotten his powers. Still, he had gotten them back so could Oliver get his strength back? 'Surely there must be something we can do to improve your stamina, your strength, other than breaking the curse?'

Oliver shook his head. 'Felicity has had me try so many types of medications, supplements, even herbal remedies. None of them work.'

'How about home brewed elixirs then? Those are always tons more effective in my experience,' Barry suggested. He raised his hand to cup his chin thoughtfully and looked upwards towards the ceiling as the possibilities churned in his mind.

'You think that's possible?' Oliver frowned. He had never really considered the possibility when Felicity had failed to come up with anything.

'I'm a scientist, of course it's possible,' Barry scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

'You're a CSI,' Oliver frowned.

'The best there is,' Barry insisted. 'Or the best that I know anyway. Most of my work is based in science. If I had access to my lab I bet I could figure something out if I had a sample of your blood.' 

'I have a lab,' Oliver mused and continued when Barry's head shot up and his eyes widened as he regarded Oliver with interest. 'In the basement.'

'You do? Show me!' Barry insisted and stood to lean his hands on the table. 'Please?'

'I'll see if I can include it on the tour,' Oliver mused and held his hand up to his chin in thought as he pushed back his chair to stand. Perhaps if Barry discovered his secret, he would show his hand, and one way to let that secret slip was to let Barry have access to the lab.

'I hear the owner is a real hard ass,' Barry joked, and his eyes twinkled with amusement as he smiled at Oliver. 'Might have to sneak around him.'

'Hey!' Oliver exclaimed and moved around the table to punch Barry playfully in the shoulder. 

Barry grabbed his arm and winced. 'You know, I find it hard to believe that you have a problem with your strength with a punch like that!'

'Sorry,' Oliver murmured, but he smirked when he saw that Barry didn't seem to mind really and turned towards the door.

'It's fine,' Barry laughed. 'I just wasn't expecting you to hit so hard.'

Oliver smiled. 'I'm stronger than most people, even with the curse. Come on, I'll show you the lab.' Barry nodded and Oliver turned and led his way to the grand staircase to start the tour.

 

–--

 

Oliver had left Barry to it once they had reached the lab, but Barry had not stayed long. Oliver had some good equipment, but Barry's focus had been on the large library Oliver had shown him earlier, where he hoped to find some books to help him create something to help improve Oliver's strength. 

The library had a high, vaulted roof, and the walls ran floor to ceiling with books. The curtains were shut but the room was not neglected. An abandoned coffee cup sat on a desk near the door and when Barry pulled back the curtains there was an open book on the windowsill, both clear indicators that someone had used the library recently. 

Barry sighed and looked towards the desk for some kind of index. Luckily, the library appeared to be well catalogued, and soon Barry found himself in the medicine and science sections. After a quick look around to ensure that he was alone, Barry decided that it was safe and sped around to grab a few books that may be useful. He was relieved when he felt more in control and less in pain when he used his speed than he had before, and settled into the deep recess of the windowsill surrounded by books.

He had sped through around 20 books when he startled as the door creaked open and he dropped the current book he was holding into his lap.

'Felicity! Hi!' Barry squeaked. 

'Barry, I'm sorry did I startle you?' Felicity smiled.

'Just a little. I was really into my research,' Barry returned her smile. 'Did you find Roy?'

Felicity nodded. 'Thea is with him now, he was in Central of all places!'

'That's good,' Barry smiled. 'I take it she won't be back for a while?'

'Probably not. I just hope that Oliver won't mind,' Felicity sighed sadly.

'I'll keep him company until she gets back,' Barry offered without hesitation. 

'You don't mind?' Felicity mused, surprised.

'No, not at all,' Barry replied and found where he was up to in his book. 

Felicity smiled a genuine smile and moved towards the window. 'So, what are you reading?' 

'Oh, just a few books about medicines and alchemy. Oliver said that his strength and stamina aren't what they used to be because of the curse, so I'm trying to see if I can help him,' Barry explained, and made room for Felicity to sit beside him.

'Oliver told you that?' Felicity asked, surprised, as she took a seat and picked up the book that she had abandoned on the windowsill yesterday. 

Barry nodded and then a look of realisation dawned on his face. 'You tricked me last night, you said that Oliver wouldn't be at dinner!'

'Hey, don't blame me, I said that it was unlikely, not that it was impossible,' Felicity protested.

'Well, it's not like it matters. I'm glad that he was,' Barry smiled, a small genuine smile as he looked back to his book.

'Really?' Felicity asked, trying not to sound too eager.

'Yeah, he's not so bad. He just makes a terrible first impression. Once you get past his walls, he's actually a good person. We've been getting along fine, he even let me in the forbidden basement!' Barry exclaimed and sat up straighter. 'Your lab is amazing.'

Felicity smiled. 'That's Oliver for you. Although I'm surprised that he's opening up to you so easily, he's usually fairly cagey and secretive, even with the people that he knows well.'

'I seem to have that affect on people,' Barry mused and remembered how Caitlyn had opened up to him fairly soon after they met, even though she had closed herself off pretty well from most other people. 

'Well, I'm glad that you're getting along,' Felicity said happily and settled in to read her book. Barry went back to his book, although it was at a significantly slower pace than before. It was not long before he felt his leg begin to twitch as his mind attempt to skip words and read faster. 

'Can I borrow these?' Barry asked as he closed his book. 'I'll need to look through the rest to see if there's anything useful, and I have a few theories now so could use them in the lab.' He would also get through them much faster if he locked himself in his room and used his super speed to get through as many books as possible. 

'Sure, go ahead,' Felicity smiled. 'You really think that you can help Oliver?'

Barry nodded. 'It's going to be tricky, and I'll need some ingredients either from the forest, or from the lab, but I think I can make things easier for him.'

'That's good,' Felicity smiled sadly. 'Anything that you can do to can help Oliver lead an easier life would be much appreciated.'

'Sure,' Barry agreed and grabbed as many books as he could carry. 'I'll see you at dinner.' 

'Good luck,' Felicity offered.

'Thanks,' Barry replied and made a hasty retreat from the library and to his own room. 

Once he had dumped off the books, he made an additional trip to the kitchens to grab as much food as he could carry for lunch and snacks during his extended study session.

Back in his room, Barry dumped the food on the bed beside the books and closed and locked the door. He rummaged in the bedside drawers and was relieved to find a notepad and pen. The first book he picked up was a book on herbs and their practical uses in potions. Barry settled comfortably on the bed, grabbed his sandwich and lost himself in his reading.

A couple of hours later Barry had finished reading the stack of books he had brought up from the library. He looked around himself at the empty bag of prawn crackers, three chocolate bar wrappers and sandwich crumbs that surrounded him and dashed off the bed to clear up quickly. Barry grabbed the notepad he had been writing on and frowned down at his scrawled notes. He had a few ideas for things he could brew up to improve Oliver's strength, but he would need some ingredients, and he could probably only get those in the city. 

Barry stood and stretched. His ribs still twinged slightly, and he knew that he could not run all the way to Starling or Central city, whichever was closer, today. Still, that didn't mean that he couldn't run at all. His body felt tense from his extended study session, much as it usually did if he spent the whole day seated at his lab at CCPD when there were no crime scenes to attend. His legs twitched and his body ached to run, to clear his head in a way that only running through the streets of Central city could nowadays. 

It was not an option to run in the forest with it's wolves, just in case his speed failed him again, so Barry left his room and wandered the halls of the mansion until he came to the darkened stairway at the far end of the mansion that led towards the attic. Oliver had shown him the disused space earlier and Barry had known at the time that it would be a perfect place to stretch his legs and test his speed without anyone else knowing that he was there. It was a square shaped space and Barry was sure that the attic, like the rest of the mansion, circled the courtyard in the centre of the mansion that Oliver had pointed out earlier. 

Barry reached the top of the stairway and stretched out his legs as a quick warm up. His eyes crackled with electricity and he took off seconds later around the large space. Barry sighed and felt himself begin to relax. It was not as freeing as running in the city, where the wind whistled around him and he was free to run where ever he wanted, but it was safe and would do until he had made a full recovery. Just to feel the speed force coursing through him strongly again was a relief to Barry and he did a few laps of the attic before his ribs began to ache again. 

Barry slowed to a stop and walked over to the nearest window. He pulled back the curtains to let in some light and threw open the window to try and clear the musty smell from the attic. It was a little better, but not perfect. Barry looked around at the other windows which were evenly spaced on the same side of the building where he currently stood. There were eight windows on this side of the building, and on the opposite side, higher up, a further six windows. From up here in the attic it was easy to see just how large Oliver's mansion was. 

Barry frowned and stared at the nearest window on the opposite side wall. 'I wonder if these open...' 

There was one way to find out. Barry took a lap of the attic at breakneck speed and ran up the wall towards one of the upper windows. He grinned when he realised that the window opened and got a glimpse of the central courtyard. From the first window, it was easy to speed around to throw open all the windows around the courtyard. Barry then turned to the outside wall and opened the windows and curtains there too. 

'Much better,' Barry sighed as the cool breeze from outside began to circulate in the now much brighter space. This was now the perfect training ground. 

Barry did a few more laps of the attic before he felt his chest begin to ache and he sighed as he came to a halt. He stretched his arms above his head and winced. The little bit of running that he had done had taken a toll on his body, and he was still weaker than he would like to be. 

Barry shook his head. That would be all for today. If he pushed himself too hard he risked delaying his recovery further. There was always tomorrow, and by then he would probably be up to running to the nearest city and back for those ingredients. 

Barry was about to head down the stairs when he heard voices. It took him a second to realise that the wind had carried the voices inside through the now open windows from the courtyard below. Curious, Barry zipped closer to the nearest window and eyed the gap critically. He was small enough, and the window would open wider. Barry sped up and pulled the window open as wide as it would go. He dragged himself through the window and onto the small ledge that skirted the courtyard, high above the two people talking below. 

The ledge was just wide enough to sit on, and Barry leant back against the sloped tiled roof so that he would not be spotted. He closed his eyes and listened as the two people continued their conversation, unaware that they were no longer alone.

'You don't know if he will work anything out, Oliver. I wouldn't get your hopes up,' a woman was saying, and Barry recognised the voice as Felicity's. Barry leant forward and looked over the edge of the small wall that ran around the ledge.

'I know, but he sounded confident,' Oliver's voice carried up to where Barry was perched. 'I just hope that he can help. If I get even some of my strength back I can help Starling city like I used to. It really sounds like it needs me now more than it ever did...'

Barry frowned and continued to listen. Just what did Oliver mean by helping Starling city? 

'Oliver, you can't risk yourself like that. What if you run out of energy at the wrong moment? You could get yourself killed!' Felicity protested. 

Barry shook his head in wonder. Could it be that Oliver was the vigilante after all? Or did Felicity mean that any attempt to help Starling city and get rid of Damien Darhk would be dangerous and could get Oliver killed?

'I'm going to die anyway, Felicity, at least if Barry can help me, I can do some good until then,' Oliver insisted and folded his arms across his chest. Barry could not see his expression clearly from high up, but he felt that Oliver sounded pained. Barry watched as Oliver looked at Felicity and ran a hand through his hair. 'I'm sorry, Felicity. I know that this situation is hard for you. It's hard for me too.'

Barry watched as Felicity reached out and hugged Oliver close. He could not make out her next words but he saw her lips move near Oliver's ear. 

Oliver returned her embrace and smiled sadly at her. 'Come on, let's get dinner sorted. I'm sure that our guest will be hungry.'

Felicity nodded and Barry ducked back to lean against the roof as they walked towards the entrance nearest to his hiding place. He leant back against the tiles in the warmth of the afternoon sun and closed his eyes. From what he had heard, all he knew for sure was that Oliver wanted to help Starling city, needed his strength to do it, and could get killed if he ran out of energy at the wrong moment. It did sound like he could be the missing vigilante, and Oliver could certainly shoot well enough to be him. 

Barry sighed. Short of getting definitive proof, or asking Oliver directly, he would never know the truth. If Oliver was anything like Barry himself, he would be careful to hide all proof, and quick to deny it if Barry asked. Barry knew that when it came to protecting his identity as the Flash, he would do the same. 

Barry vowed that, regardless, he would make the elixirs well and get Oliver to test them within the mansion grounds before he put himself at risk, just in case he was the vigilante. Tomorrow he would gather the ingredients that he needed to start experimenting in the lab. He just needed to find out which was closer, Central or Starling city, because although he was not at full strength yet, Barry knew that by tomorrow his super healing would have caught up with itself and he would be more than up for the extended run.

Barry opened his eyes and stood to stretch. He made his way carefully back to the window and down into the attic. Not happy to leave the windows open all night, Barry sped around and closed them before he ran down the stairs towards the library, where he had spotted a few maps earlier which he could use to figure out which way to run in the morning. 

 

–--

 

'Sorry I'm late!' Barry exclaimed as he ran into the dining room at a normal speed. 'You wouldn't believe how easy it is to get lost around here!'

'Oh believe me, I would,' Felicity laughed and reached into her pocket. 'I carry a map at all times, I'll make you a copy.'

'Thanks, that would be amazing,' Barry replied and sat down to dig into his food.

Oliver frowned at him. 'Barry why are you so dusty?'

'I was exploring, and some of the rooms around here are pretty unused. I didn't have time to change,' Barry explained easily.

'I thought that you would have stayed in the lab,' Oliver mused, with a slightly sad smile.

'Don't worry, I haven't forgotten,' Barry smiled at him. 'I spent a lot of time reading and in the library. Even the best need to research sometimes. I'll have something for you by tomorrow afternoon, promise.'

'Thank you,' Oliver murmured quietly. 

'It's the least that I can do,' Barry grinned.

'What do you mean?' Oliver asked cautiously.

'Well, even though you blackmailed me to stay here, you've given me a room, food, time to recover. I appreciate that, it's much better than the dungeons, and I feel much better already,' Barry explained and Oliver could see that his cheeks were a healthier colour already and his eyes were sparkling. 

Oliver looked down, unsure how to respond. Barry was too honest, too good, to be one of Darhk's men. That was a relief, but the fact that he had blackmailed someone so good did not sit well with Oliver. Being a good person didn't rule Barry out as a meta-human though, although if Barry were a meta-human, Oliver could not see him as an evil one. 

'I wouldn't have let him keep you in the dungeons,' Felicity smiled. 'You're our guest, really.'

Barry smiled at her and looked to her left. Someone was missing. 'Where's Diggle?'

'He's with his family tonight. It's just us now.' Felicity explained. 

'So you really think that you can make something to help me?' Oliver asked.

'Of course,' Barry nodded. 'It might take a little while, but I have a few theories that I want to test out.'

'Let me know as soon as you're done,' Oliver smiled, eager to test anything that Barry made now that he was convinced that Barry was on his side. 

'I will, but please don't push yourself too hard as soon as I give it to you, OK?' Barry warned, and thought back to the conversation that he had overheard. 'I want you to test how long the dosage lasts and how effective it is before you go hunting in the woods or something stupid. I don't want to risk the effects wearing off and landing you in trouble.'

Felicity smiled in relief and looked gratefully towards Barry. 

'Fine,' Oliver sighed. 'I suppose one extra day couldn't hurt.'

'Thanks, Barry,' Felicity added. 'I know how stubborn Oliver is, he'd have been out there like a shot otherwise.' 

'So, were you planning on doing something daft like running for major or trying to take back your company?' Barry asked, hoping to glean a little more information from Oliver.

'No, nothing like that,' Oliver laughed and deflected easily, 'I don't ever want to run a company again, as much as it was my families legacy, it was also my burden, and I wasn't the best CEO ever.'

Felicity scoffed into her drink and covered her laugh. 'He was the worst, always late for meetings, never there when he was supposed to be. I practically ran the company for him.'

'I had other responsibilities, Felicity,' Oliver growled.

'Oh, I know, Oliver, I understand that more than anyone. It was just really funny that a girl from the I.T department suddenly became the acting CEO of QC,' Felicity smiled.

'So, if Felicity was running the company, what were you doing?' Barry pressed and leant forward on the table. 

Oliver did not expect the question and paused, but Felicity jumped in quickly to cover for him. 'He was mostly at his sister's nightclub, which he found far more interesting.'

Oliver nodded and decided to turn the tables. 'So how about you, Barry, does your day job interfere with your night life?'

'Oh, no, not really. I mean, I'm late, a lot, but I get my work done so fast that the chief is cool with it. Most of the time,' Barry rambled, afraid that Oliver was onto his own secret life as a vigilante. 'The hours are odd and I'm on call a lot though, so there's not much time for anything else. It's cool though, I enjoy my work.'

'If Oliver had been that passionate about QC, we wouldn't have lost it to Ray Palmer,' Felicity smiled.

'There were more important things to worry about,' Oliver shrugged. 'I couldn't do everything.'

'Sometimes there's just not enough time in the day,' Barry agreed, 'Even for me.' 

'So, what's the most interesting case that you've worked on?' Felicity asked. She wanted to keep Barry on a topic that he was passionate about because it really did bring out the best in him. 

'That's a tricky question,' Barry frowned and was grateful that neither of them had caught his near slip up. 'There are so many, especially since the meta-humans showed up. Anything involving Captain Cold is always interesting.'

'Captain Cold?' Oliver mouthed to Felicity. Felicity shrugged and mouthed 'Deathstroke? Huntress?' back at Oliver. 

'Is that a code name?' Felicity asked and sent a pointed look Oliver's way.

'Of course,' Barry smiled. 'His real name is Leonard Snart, but that's a bit of a mouthful, so we call him Captain Cold, after the cold gun that he swiped from Star Labs. He does heists mostly, all complicated and planned to the second. Even when we catch him, he gets away again.'

'How do the police confront someone with a gun that freezes?' Felicity wondered aloud.

'Oh, that's where Star Labs and the Flash come in. Caitlyn and Cisco work there, and they developed some riot shields to protect our officers, and so long as the Flash doesn't get hit, he can usually stop Cold in his tracks,' Barry explained eagerly.

'So your police force willingly work with a vigilante?' Oliver asked intently.

'Well, me and detective West, my foster father, do. Technically the rest of the department don't know just how closely we work with the Flash and Star labs.' Barry sighed heavily. 'Although people are gradually coming around to the idea of the Flash as a hero, and not as a vigilante. I hope that it won't be long before the police acknowledge his positive influence and we can work together more openly.'

'I bet detective Lance won't like that,' Felicity frowned and thought of his difficult relationship with Oliver when Oliver still had the strength to be the Arrow. 

'No probably not, the Arrow had plenty of issues with him when he was active,' Oliver mused.

'Actually, he's surprisingly tolerant of Joe's pro-Flash stance, although I do get the feeling that he's worried that the Flash will start taking the law into his own hands.' Barry frowned. 'The Flash would never do that though, he's by the book.'

'You seem pretty sure of that,' Oliver commented casually and thought back to the emblem on his doorstep, a lightning bolt. Was that a nod to the lightning that struck Barry? Could Barry be the Flash? A hero in his own right?

Barry flushed slightly and shrugged in an attempt to appear casual. 'Well, Joe's a pretty good judge of character, and when you work with someone that closely, you tend to get to know them.'

Felicity nodded and smiled at him. 'That's true. It's good to see that Central city is well protected. At least we know that Thea, Roy and Laurel are safe there.'

Barry smiled, but this time it was forced. Oliver could not help but notice and wondered when he had learned to know the difference between a false smile and a real smile from the other man. If Barry was the Flash, his forced smile made perfect sense: at the moment Central city was not defended at all, because the Flash was here.

'Thea, Laurel and Roy are all perfectly capable of taking care of themselves,' Oliver insisted and smiled at Barry.

Barry looked at him and nodded. He hoped that Oliver's friends and family would be OK in Central whilst he was here, and that Firestorm could handle any meta-humans who appeared whilst he was away. As intriguing as Oliver and his situation was, Barry knew that he couldn't stay away too long, and it was with a heavy heart that he finished his meal and retired for the night. He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's chapter 2: hope it was as good as the first :) 
> 
> Chapter 3 is completely written, It just needs a few tweaks, double checks, edits etc and a few scenes added.  
> I hope to have that up later today, if not very late tonight!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all your comments and kudos, especially Greyspell, who pointed out that I had gotten in a muddle with your/you're a few times. I have gone back to fix that and did some last minute edits to this chapter based on that feedback :)
> 
> Anyway, chapter 3 is a little shorter than it was originally as I decided to end it at a different place, although it is still as long as the other chapters so far :)

The Next Day, Central City Police Department

 

'Detective West!' Captain Singh yelled from his office.

Joe sighed and headed inside. 'Yes, captain?'

'Where the hell is Allen? I haven't seen him since the day before yesterday,' Singh demanded. He looked exhausted, and Joe couldn't blame him, what with the rumours that Damien Darhk had his sites set on Central city. 

'He had to take a couple of personal days,' Joe explained. It wasn't exactly a lie after all. 'I did fill out the paperwork. My daughter, Iris, told him that Eddie proposed to her. Kid's loved Iris for a long time and he's not taking the news very well.'

'Well see it it that it's not more than a couple of days!' Singh warned him and rummaged on his desk for the paperwork Joe had filed. 'We have enough to worry about as it is.'

'Understood Captain,' Joe muttered and left the room. He pulled out his phone and scrolled down to Barry's number. 'Come on, Barry, pick up.'

Joe frowned when the call went unanswered and went to voice mail. 'Hey Bear, it's Joe. Call me when you get this, I just need to know that where ever you are, you're safe.'

Joe ended the call and headed over to his partner. Lance was frowning as always, but his face lit up when a young woman approached him and hugged him. 

'Hey, Daddy,' the young woman kissed his cheek. 

'Laurel, where have you been?' Lance exclaimed, and looked her over in what Joe knew was check for any injuries. Joe recognised the relief in his partners eyes when she seemed unharmed.

'Hanging out with Thea and Felicity,' Laurel explained. 'You're right, dad, Starling city is a complete mess. People are suffering.'

'Sweetie, I think we need to accept that Starling city is a lost cause. Damien Darhk has eyes on Central now, and we need to do everything that we can to stop him from gaining control here too,' Lance insisted. 

Joe sighed. It was a terrible time for Barry to up and vanish. From the sounds of it, Darhk was a menace and they would need the Flash's help to stop him. He tuned back into their conversation.

'Actually dad, I was wondering if we should go on the offensive and take down Darhk in Starling city before he gets the chance to turn his sights here. You guys have a vigilante, like we did, right? Can't we get in contact with him and tell him to take Darhk down?' Laurel asked, and folded her arms across her chest.

Lance shook his head. 'He's mysterious, no one really has contact with him.'

'Then put out a message in the media, we need to do something, dad!' Laurel protested.

Lance sighed, exasperated. Joe decided to take charge. 'We'll see what we can do.'

'Thank you, detective...?' Laurel asked.

'Joe West. Please to meet you, Laurel,' Joe held out a hand.

Laurel shook it with a firm handshake. 'You're Barry's adopted father, right?'

'Yes, how do you know Barry?' Joe asked, and was immediately on guard.

'We have a mutual friend,' Laurel explained. 'He's staying with them for a while, so you shouldn't worry about him.'

'Where is he?' Joe demanded.

Laurel shook her head. 'I can't say, but he's safe.'

Joe sighed. Still, if Caitlyn and Cisco were not worried about Barry, there was no need to panic just yet. 'All right. Fine. Thank you for letting me know. Tell him to call me when he feels better, won't you?'

'I will,' Laurel nodded. 'I'm going to head off, dad, see if I can get a message to the Flash.'

'All right, just be careful Laurel, you know I don't trust these vigilantes.' Quentin insisted, and hugged her.

'I will, dad,' Laurel hugged him back and rolled her eyes fondly. 'I'll see you later. Bye detective West.'

'Bye Laurel,' Joe said and turned to Quentin. 'Ready to go, partner?'

'Yeah, just give me a second,' Quentin replied and grabbed his coat. He sighed heavily. 'You know that my daughter is involved with Oliver Queen right? For Barry's sake, you better hope that this friend of Laurel's that he's staying with, isn't Queen.'

Joe nodded grimly as they headed out of the station. 'It's unlikely. I think that Barry would have mentioned it if he knew Oliver Queen. Come on, let's get to work.' 

 

Queen Mansion

 

Barry woke early, and felt well rested from a good, long, nights sleep. He sped through his morning routine and consulted the map that he had copied from a book in the library. Starling city was the closer city, and although it was tempting to check in at Central, he also didn't want to leave Oliver's mansion just yet and knew that his friends would try to persuade him otherwise if they saw him. Starling city was also far more likely to have what he needed, and Barry had scribbled down the address of a couple of places to try. 

Barry sped downstairs and ate a quick breakfast. He felt a little guilty as he borrowed some money from Felicity's purse, but it was necessary. After all, his own wallet was back at Star labs with his clothes and phone. Barry made a promise to himself that he would pay her back later and exited the mansion and peered around the corner. Oliver was not practising today, and Barry was thankful for that. It made sneaking out of the mansion so much easier. Barry made a run for the gates and sped off in the direction of Starling city. 

It was so refreshing to feel the wind rush past him and through his hair, and Barry revelled in the feeling of freedom that came with running outside again. He was disappointed when it was barely half an hour later when he skidded to a stop around the corner from the shop that he was approaching first, a small, specialist poisons shop. The owner had just opened up the shop and Barry walked inside and straight up to the counter.

'Hi, I was wondering if you can help me,' Barry smiled charmingly and handed over the list he had written earlier. 'I'm looking for all these to help a friend of mine.'

The man looked suspiciously at Barry and then eyed the list contemplatively. 'Seems fairly straightforward,' the man grudgingly admitted. 'You making some kind of strength elixir?'

Barry nodded, and was relieved that the man recognised what he was trying to do. 'If I mix the first three on the list first, and then add items five and six, followed by item four, that should work, right?'

Barry watched as the man looked at the list again. 'Yes, that should work just fine. I'd recommend adding a catalyst though.'

'Thanks,' Barry smiled. 'So how much do I owe you?'

The man gathered some ingredients together from behind the counter and bagged them up. He totalled up the goods and turned back to Barry. '$54.95.'

Barry sighed and dug the notes that he had taken from Felicity out of his pocket. It was a good job she carried a lot of cash. He handed over three 20 dollar bills and smiled as the man handed him his change. 

'I hope that Oliver appreciates this,' Barry muttered under his breath and directed to the shopkeeper. 'Thanks, hey I don't suppose you know the best place around here to get something to eat?'

'There's a big belly burger a few blocks away,' the man frowned, but Barry was too busy grinning to notice as he waved and left the shop quickly in search of a snack. Running so far and so fast had been amazing, but it had also made him really hungry.

The shopkeeper sighed and picked up his phone to dial a number that he knew from memory. When it was picked up at the other end, he muttered, 'I need to get a message to Mr Darhk regarding Oliver Queen. There's a new player on the field that may affect his plans.'

'All right, I'll put you through,' the young woman replied, and the shopkeeper waited patiently for the call to connect as he pondered the best way to tell Mr Darhk his news without suffering his wrath.

 

Later that day, back at Queen Mansion

 

By the time he returned to the Queen mansion, Barry felt exhaustion creeping up on him. He had only been able to afford one burger with the change from the $60 and it had been a long run. Barry breezed through the hallways and past a startled Felicity into his room to change.

It was only a moment later that Barry emerged and walked at normal speed down to the kitchens. He had eaten through an entire loaf of breads worth of sandwiches and was starting to feel a little better when Felicity entered the room. 

'Oh, hey Barry, where have you been all morning?' Felicity asked as she headed to grab the second loaf of bread with a small frown on her face.

'I've been trying to sort out the ingredients to mix something up for Oliver,' Barry smiled and grabbed some of the bread that she offered him. 'I'm going to start working on it this afternoon.'

'That's good. Do you think you have everything that you need? I can send Diggle out for you if not,' Felicity offered as they made sandwiches together.

'Yeah, I have everything, thanks.' Barry replied. 'Those for Oliver?'

Felicity shook her head. 'No, for John. Oliver hasn't left his room yet. You want to eat with us? It's pretty sunny out under the cherry trees.'

'Sure,' Barry frowned and followed her outside. 'Is Oliver ok then?' 

Felicity sighed. 'It's not unusual for him to spend a lot of time in his room, especially when he's feeling weaker. He sometimes only manages to be up for a few hours a day. He hates it. Here, John.' Felicity handed him a plate of sandwiches.

'Thanks Felicity,' Diggle nodded. 'Morning Barry.'

'Hey,' Barry greeted and turned back to Felicity as he sat down. 'Well, hopefully I can help him manage a little better.'

'I hope so too,' Felicity smiled sadly. 'It hit Oliver hard when he couldn't do half of the things that he used to be able to.'

They ate in companionable silence and Barry felt his strength peak again as his large lunch digested.

'Could you pick up some more food on the way in tomorrow, John?' Felicity asked as she finished her lunch. 'I swear that we had more than we did.'

Barry flushed and looked away as Diggle nodded his head and replied, 'Sure, Felicity. I'll stock you up. Any requests, Barry?'

'Can you get some of those high calorie, high energy bars?' Barry asked. They would not be as good as the ones that Cisco usually made, but something like that would top him up better and avoid the suspicion Barry felt that he raised when he ate nearly everything in sight. 

'Sure kid, you'll need all the energy you can get if you're going to climb more trees,' Diggle laughed.

'Oliver told you?' Barry asked and pouted.

'I did,' Felicity laughed. 'How is your arm?'

'Oh, it's fine,' Barry smiled. 'The only thing wrong with me now is my energy levels. I keep getting so hungry.'

'Felicity,' a voice yelled across the grass as Oliver moved slowly towards them.

'Oliver, are you ok?' Felicity rushed to his side to help support him.

'Do you have any more of my medication? I've run out,' Oliver muttered. 

'I didn't realise that we were nearly out already,' Felicity exclaimed, and gasped when Oliver stumbled in her arms.

'I've had to take it more and more frequently, I didn't realise how low we were getting,' Oliver explained. 'We're out of the purple flower that grows in the forest too so we can't make more.'

'I'll get it,' Diggle offered and made for the gate. 

'No, I'll go,' Barry insisted and hurried to explain why he should go without revealing his super speed. 'I saw some on my way here and it will be quicker if I go because I know exactly where it is. Be back in a Flash.'

'It's dangerous!' Felicity yelled, but Barry had already jogged off towards the gate.

'Will he be ok?' Diggle asked. 'Should I go after him?'

Oliver sighed. Even if he had his suspicions that Barry was the Flash, it still wasn't worth the risk to let him go into the forest alone. 'We should.'

'Oh no, you're not going anywhere, you have very little strength left,' Felicity insisted. 'Let Diggle go.'

'All right...woah....' Diggle stopped in his tracks as he saw Barry jog back over to them. 'That was fast!'

Barry shrugged and tried to appear casual. 'I run. Here.'

'Thanks,' Felicity said as she took the flower from him. 'I'm sorry, Oliver, but this will take a few days to process.'

'I might be able to help with that,' Barry offered and took the flower back. 'Just explain the process to me and I'll see what I can do.'

Felicity smiled. 'All right. Dig can you help Oliver inside?'

Diggle nodded and slipped an arm around Oliver's shoulder's as the man's eyes slipped closed. 'Come on man, lets get you back to bed.'

Oliver grunted in protest and cursed his sluggish thoughts. There was no way Barry could have been that fast, right? He felt John guide him away and decided that he would try and piece the rest together later when he was more alert.

Barry followed Felicity down to the lab as she explained the process. It seemed fairly simple and Barry knew that his powers would come in handy when it came to speeding things along.

'So do you think that you can help speed it up?' Felicity finished.

Barry nodded. 'Leave it with me, you check on Oliver and make sure that he eats something. Skipping meals can't be good for him.'

Felicity nodded and smiled. 'Let me know if you need anything else, Barry.'

'Will do,' Barry muttered and was already lost in his work. Felicity shook her head and left him to it.

As soon as she had left, Barry grabbed the ingredients that he had bought earlier and started to mix the strength potion. Once that was on the go, Barry looked around the lab and frowned. Felicity had said that all the ingredients for Oliver's regular medication were in the lab, but in her rush she had not specified where they were. Barry shrugged. It didn't matter. With super speed he could look around the entire lab in a matter of seconds. 

The first cabinet he checked was empty, the second in a similar state. In the third, Barry found some of the ingredients that he needed and set to work on the first stage of the potion. He gave it a quick mix with his super speed to aid the reaction and speed up the entire process, then went back to searching for ingredients.

The fourth cabinet he checked had Barry stopping in his tracks. He reached inside curiously and pulled out an arrow head. Barry held it up to the light and frowned. It was very similar to the arrows that the vigilante of Starling City was reported to have used. Barry put the arrow head in his pocket and continued his search of the room. He came across most of the rest of the ingredients and set the rest of the potion to brew whilst he tried to find the final ingredient. 

In a cabinet near the far end of the lab, behind a pillar, a large trunk sat hidden under a sheet. Barry approached cautiously and threw the sheet aside. He knelt by the trunk and brushed the dust off the top, and wondered if perhaps he should leave it be. Barry knew that he wouldn't appreciate someone prying into his things. On the other hand, this could be the proof that he needed to confirm that Oliver Queen was the vigilante. Barry sighed and let his curiosity win out. He lifted the lid and reached inside to pull out what was definitely the Arrow suit. Barry grinned and coughed as he held it up. It was a little dusty, but there was no mistaking it, and it was Oliver's size. Oliver was the vigilante, and Barry felt intrigued. It would be nice to talk to someone else who was used to saving the city and being a hero, someone who understood the burdens that they carried and the choices that they had to make. Assuming of course that Oliver didn't bite his head off for invading his privacy. 

Barry turned back to his potions and ran a hand through his hair. So, the curse was why Oliver had hung up his bow. Barry vowed to try and find a scientific cure and focused on the blood sample that Oliver had left with him yesterday. Without a sample of Oliver's blood before he had been cursed, progress would be slower, but Barry had noticed some blood samples in the freezer earlier. He dashed over to investigate and found that someone had kept samples of Oliver's blood from around six months ago. Barry wondered if these were pre curse samples and decided that he would try and compare the two to see if he could help. He placed the blood sample in the fridge so that it could defrost naturally and focussed on Oliver's medicine and the other potion which would hopefully improve Oliver's strength for the rest of the afternoon. 

 

\---

 

Barry had just finished Oliver's medicines when his stomach rumbled. He looked around but he could not spot a clock in the lab. It was probably time for some food though.  
Barry got a couple of vials and added the two medicines carefully into them. He dipped his finger in the strength potion and put it in his mouth. 'Ugh, gross,' Barry grimaced, but felt a sudden burst of strength before the liquid was out of his system. 'At least it works.' It was strong stuff, but there was no telling how long the effects would last in Oliver's system. 

With the vials safely corked and in his pocket, Barry sped up to the kitchens. He had decided earlier that he would take the medicine, along with dinner, straight to Oliver when he was done. That way, he could casually drop into conversation, whilst Oliver was distracted with food and grateful for the medication, that he had found the suit and hopefully get Oliver to talk to him about being the vigilante.

It took Barry less than 15 minutes to prepare a simple spaghetti bolognese, with enough food for him and a much smaller portion for Oliver. It took him much longer to locate Oliver's room, and really it was lucky that he was so fast, or the food would have gone cold before he found it. 

Barry knocked tentatively and entered the room when there was a gruff 'Come in,' from the other side.

Barry pushed open the door with his foot and went inside. 'Hey, Ollie, I brought food, and some more of that medicine.'

'That was fast, Barry,' Oliver smiled from his spot on the bed. There really was no question in his mind about Barry's secret identity. 

Barry walked over and perched beside him. He handed Oliver the medicine first. 'I added a little twist, it should make it more effective. Also, here's the strength potion that I promised you.'

Oliver accepted the two vials and downed them instantly. He could trust the other vigilante, the hero of Central city, not to poison him, and that was a strange feeling for Oliver. He even felt that he could tell Barry about his own secret. Suddenly, his face scrunched up in disgust. 'What did you do to these?'

'Hey, I said that they would be effective, not that they would taste good,' Barry shrugged. 'Here, I made spaghetti. The sauce works wonders to get rid of that nasty after taste.'

'Thanks,' Oliver murmured and accepted the bowl that Barry offered him. 'Did you cook for Felicity and the others too?'

Barry flushed slightly. 'Nope, the rest is for me.'

Oliver gave him an odd look and raised his eyebrow.

'What? I get hungry,' Barry muttered defensively and scooted over to lean against Oliver's headboard beside him. 

'So, how did you find the lab?' Oliver asked as he began to eat.

'Better than what I'm used to back in Central,' Barry admitted. 'At least here the equipment doesn't malfunction.'

Oliver smiled and then frowned as he realised that Barry's portion of food had decreased pretty quickly. He was about to call the young man out with his theory when Barry spoke again.

'I did find something interesting though. Either you like to cosplay, or you were the Starling city vigilante,' Barry revealed, and carefully watched Oliver's face for a reaction.

Oliver sighed and gave a slight nod. 'I was, before the curse.'

'Cool. You're my hero, you know I always wanted to meet you?' Barry gushed. It was true. When he had first gotten his powers he had tried his best to be like the Arrow, only he wanted to go one better. The Flash saved people and gave them hope. He did not do the dirty work that the city needed and have most people fear him. Barry reached into his pocket and pulled out the arrow head from earlier. 'You know if you used a stronger material, you'd penetrate better. I can help with that.'

'You have a weird definition of hero, Barry,' Oliver muttered, but was pleasantly surprised that someone as inherently good as Barry was taking this so well. 'I think my arrows are just fine.'

Barry shrugged. 'If you say so. So, you trained in an island environment right? The city is full of darkness and shadows, so black would have been a far better camouflage, but I guess the green is a nod to where you trained?' 

Oliver nodded, and was surprised by Barry's intelligence yet again. 'I was stranded on an island for the better part of five years.'

'You must have learnt a lot about survival,' Barry nodded to himself and Oliver was surprised that he didn't offer sympathy. Most people were horrified to learn that he had been stranded. Barry continued talking. 'Then when you came back you decided to make your city a better place. It's honourable.' 

'I've never looked at it that way before. I've done some terrible things,' Oliver mused.

'Yeah, but your heart has always been in the right place. There has to be some goodness in you, otherwise you wouldn't have survived everything that you went through and come back with a desire to do good,' Barry insisted. 

Oliver found himself smiling in response and felt his heart lighten. Even though they had both finished their food by now, Barry seemed content to stick around and it was nice to have someone to talk to that wasn't Felicity, Thea or John.

'So, why no mask? I've seen you on TV and the greasepaint thing? It's a poor identity concealer,' Barry commented and reached into his pocket for the chocolate bar he had stashed there earlier.

'I couldn't find one that conforms perfectly to my face and doesn't disrupt my view when I'm trying to aim,' Oliver explained.

'I could fix that,' Barry grinned and broke the chocolate in half to offer some to Oliver. 

'More science?' Oliver teased and took the chocolate to take a bite.

Barry nodded and spoke around his mouthful, 'Hey, science is one of my most useful skills!'

'Apparently so is getting through locked doors,' Oliver murmured. 'I never did figure out how you pulled that one off. After your friends stumbled in I was sure that we locked the door.'

'You did,' Barry confirmed and nodded decisively. 'Want to know a secret?'

In the blink of an eye Barry was gone, and a second later he was back with a cheesecake.

'I'm super fast,' Barry explained at Oliver's raised eyebrow. Suspecting it was one thing, but seeing it in person was another thing entirely. 

'Cool,' Oliver nodded and accepted half of the dessert. 

'Cool? That's it?' Barry frowned and joined him on the bed again.

'I had my suspicions,' Oliver admitted and Barry pouted. Oliver smiled. 'You're not exactly subtle, Barry. You got that flower from the forest remarkably quickly, even though it grows near the river which is a good mile from here and you eat far too much and too quickly to be a regular person. You must be one of the meta-humans that was affected by the particle accelerator that exploded. Super speed doesn't explain the door though.'

'I managed to move so fast that I phased through it. It wasn't pleasant and I lose my suit in the process. Cisco isn't happy with me.' Barry winced. 

'That's a hell of an ability you have there. You could easily be a hero.' Oliver mused in the hope that Barry trusted him enough to confide in him that he was. 

Barry flushed. 'Well, the thing is, I am. Remember the guy I was telling you about?'

'The Flash, right? I thought that might be you.' Oliver insisted.

'Seriously? You had me on that too?' Barry complained and ate the rest of the cheesecake sulkily.

'I found this outside,' Oliver reached into his bedside table and pulled out the Flash emblem, which he handed to Barry. 'You were struck by lightning, and it gave you your powers. That wasn't the only thing that gave you away though. Last night at dinner, you expressed so much faith in the Flash, and yet when Felicity said that the others were safe in Central city, you didn't appear convinced. It's because I'm keeping you here, from your city.' 

'You're not keeping me here! I was injured in a fight with one of my worst enemies and when I arrived here I was in a bad way. I needed time and space to recover before I could even think about using my powers again,' Barry protested and looked at Oliver intently. 'Now though? I like you Oliver, and I want to stay for a while. Firestorm can handle Central's meta-humans for a few days.' 

Barry smiled and Oliver could see that it was genuine and warm. 

'I'm glad to have you here,' Oliver admitted and returned Barry's smile. 

'You know, you inspired me to watch over Central, just like you did in Starling, pretty cool, huh?' Barry admitted with the hope that Oliver would share some of his stories. 

'It was,' Oliver murmured and there was a wistful look in his eyes as he remembered a time when he could run across rooftops and shoot arrows down on his enemies. 

'Hey, you'll get out there again. Or at least you will if I have anything to do with it!' Barry insisted. 'It will be fine, Ollie.' 

They were silent for a few moments as Oliver finished his dessert.

'So, what was your favourite part?' Barry asked hopefully.

'Swinging from rooftop to rooftop patrolling.' Oliver smiled wistfully. 'You?'

'The rush I feel when I'm running, nothing beats it,' Barry sighed and leant back. 'Although that feeling of helping people, saving people? That comes a close second. It's nice not to be helpless.'

Oliver nodded. 'Sometimes, just sitting and watching over the city was enough. It was peaceful.'

'I get that when I'm running. I'm so fast that no one can touch me, it's like my own personal bubble,' Barry smiled. 

'It must be nice, being able to case an environment in an instant,' Oliver commented thoughtfully. As the Arrow, he didn't always have the time. 

'Case an environment?' Barry asked, confused.

Oliver shook his head, amused. 'You've been rushing in blindly, haven't you? You could assess the situation in an instant, yet you don't. I'm amazed that you haven't been killed yet.'

'I'm fast,' Barry shrugged, as if that were all that mattered. 

'One day, that might not be enough,' Oliver insisted. 'Look, tomorrow I'll show you a thing or two.'

'For real? I get to train with the Arrow!' Barry exclaimed. 'What about the curse?'

'I'll be fine,' Oliver decided, and stretched. He felt stronger than he had done in a long time. 'The medication is already taking effect, and your strength potion is really effective. I'm sure that it won't take it out of me and we can see how long the potion lasts.'

'Great!' Barry grinned widely and handed Oliver another vial. 'I don't expect it to last through the night and into tomorrow, so take that when you wake up. I'll see you in the morning.'

Oliver couldn't help but smile back and add with a cheeky grin, 'Just be sure to use the door this time!'

Barry laughed and waved him off. He headed straight for the labs, where he was sure that he had seen something suitable to make Oliver a proper mask.

 

The next morning, Central City

 

'I knew that we should have come here right away,' Caitlyn complained as she followed Cisco into the precinct. 

'We had to give Barry a chance to heal first,' Cisco insisted in a low whisper. 'Can you imagine what would have happened if the police found him beaten and bloodied, and then a couple of days later he was fine? We couldn't explain that away!'

Caitlyn sighed and nodded reluctantly.

'Cisco, Caitlyn, have you heard from Barry?' Joe asked when he spotted them.

'No, actually that's what we're here about,' Cisco said hesitantly.

'You can't get hold of him either? His phone was going straight to voice mail, and he didn't call me back, even though Laurel said that she would tell him to. I was worried. We issued a BOLO this morning,' Joe explained, worried. He looked as if he had not gotten much sleep the night before. 'If you hear from him at all, let us know.'

'Of course,' Caitlyn replied. 'The thing is...'

She was interrupted by a large explosion, which sounded nearby. 

'Christ,' Joe exclaimed and yelled at them on his way out. 'Try and find Barry, please, we could really do with him right now.'

'What's going on?' Cisco exclaimed, and rushed to the window to look outside. 

'I don't know,' Caitlyn frowned as they watched smoke rising from a location in the distance. 'I'm going to call Ronnie. You let one of the uniforms know that we last saw Barry at the Queen mansion. We need to find him fast.'

Cisco nodded and they both jumped into action. As Caitlyn pulled out her phone, Cisco approached a young sergeant who he had seen around Joe and Lance a couple of times. 'Yo, dude.' Cisco called out, and explained the situation quickly. The sergeant promised to check it out, and Cisco sighed in relief. At least this way they would know if Barry were still there. In the meantime, he and Caitlyn could work on a way to comb the forest for any signs of Barry, perhaps by hacking into some satellites or something. 

 

Back at the Queen Mansion, also the next morning

 

'Ow, you shot me!' Barry complained and turned to glare at Oliver. They were in the grounds of the mansion and so far Barry had been showing off and getting increasingly overconfident.

'It's just a tranquilliser, Barry,' Oliver smirked at him. 'You didn't even consider that I may have set a trap, because you always run in blind!'

Barry frowned and vibrated at super speed to get rid of the tranquilliser from his system. 'Maybe.' He was willing to admit that Oliver had a point.

'You should always inspect an environment before you run in. I don't always have time, but whenever I can, I make sure that I know exactly what I am up against,' Oliver advised and winced as his hand gave a twinge inside his glove. The curse was getting worse the nearer he got to his 30th birthday. Still, at least he had a purpose now. Oliver would make sure that Barry learned enough in the time that he had left so that the young man didn't get himself killed, because in the past few days he had grown very fond of him.

'Well, there aren't any more traps around here,' Barry grinned and he looked a bit flushed.

'See, I told you that you'd have time,' Oliver grinned back when he realised that Barry had taken his advice and scoped out the garden. 

'Guess you're right,' Barry replied, a little reluctantly. 'Come on, let's get something to eat and then you can fire as many arrows at me as you want.'

Oliver moved to follow Barry inside, but Barry was back at his side in an instant with a large plate of sandwiches, croissants, ham and cheese. 

'Come on, let's eat out here.' Barry led the way to sit in the sunshine under one of the apple trees that he had spotted earlier. Oliver sat beside him and they ate together whilst Barry told Oliver all about the man in yellow and how he had ended up at the Queen mansion in the first place. 

'So, that's my story. I'm surprised that Cisco and Caitlyn haven't been worried enough to send out a search party yet.' Barry smiled as his shoulder brushed against Oliver's when he leant over to grab some cheese. 

Oliver felt a frisson of heat travel down his body and he turned to look at Barry in wonder. He felt a sudden urge to lean in and kiss the young man beside him and began to lean forward towards him.

'I think that they must have been worried,' Felicity reluctantly interrupted what she thought may have been a moment between them as she moved to sit beside them. She saw Oliver jerk back quickly and sighed. Unfortunately this was urgent news and it couldn't wait. 'The police put out a BOLO on you first thing this morning. I think that under these circumstances you're free to go, Barry.'

'I'm not a prisoner here, I'm your guest, remember?' Barry frowned. 'I could leave any time that I wanted to.' 

It wasn't that he wanted to leave at the moment either. Barry wasn't sure how he could face his father knowing that he had screwed up his one chance at freedom. He was also sure that he could learn a lot more from training with Oliver.

Felicity nodded and was about to speak, but Barry beat her to it.

'It doesn't matter anyway, I want to stay. I feel like I'm learning a lot,' Barry smiled over at Oliver then, and Felicity was stunned when Oliver returned the smile with an open, genuine one of his own. 

'Wow...ok,' Felicity replied and was convinced now that she had ruined a moment between them. 'Can you at least call the police and let them know?'

'Sure,' Barry nodded and accepted the phone that Felicity handed to him. He keyed in Joe's mobile number, which he had memorised. Joe answered on the first ring. 

'Who is this?' Joe grunted, agitated.

'Joe, it's Barry,' Barry was quick to answer.

'Bear, are you all right? Are you safe?' Joe insisted instantly and Barry was reminded just how much he loved this man.

'I'm fine, Joe. Didn't Laurel tell you? I'm staying with friends for a little while,' Barry explained quickly. 

'She did, but I didn't believe her,' Joe grumbled. 'She was supposed to tell you to call.'

'She hasn't been back here yet, and I left my phone at Star labs,' Barry covered. 'I just saw the BOLO and borrowed Felicity's phone right away. I'm safe, though Joe, I promise. I'll be back soon, I just need time.'

Barry knew that Joe was probably nodding as he replied, 'Ok, Bear, you take care of yourself. Just remember that Iris will always love you as a brother, and as little consolation as it may be right now, you will always be a big part of her life. I'll see you soon.'

'Thanks Joe, I'll be fine,' Barry replied, and realised that he meant it. He hadn't thought about Iris since that first night here. 'See you later.'

Barry hung up the phone and handed it back to Felicity. 'That should keep them happy for a while.'

Felicity nodded and accepted her phone back with a smile. She looked meaningfully at Oliver. 'I'll leave you guys to it then. I'm going to check in with Thea.'

'See you later, Felicity,' Barry smiled, and did not notice the way that Oliver rolled his eyes at Felicity as she retreated.

Oliver stood and grabbed his bow. He felt the urge to blow off some steam and wanted to put off analysing his feelings towards Barry for now. He had nearly kissed Barry out of the blue and he wanted to be sure of his actions before he ruined the best friendship that he had ever had. 

'Come at me, Barry,' Oliver taunted and motioned with his hand.

'Challenge accepted,' Barry grinned and stood in a flash. Oliver let loose a volley of arrows and Barry moved swiftly around them. This was too easy. 

Oliver frowned and pushed himself further, past the pain of the exertion. The young man was getting cocky. Oliver watched Barry to see if there was a pattern to his movements and let loose another volley of arrows. He grinned when the speedster was unable to dodge them all. 

'Oww,' Barry winced as he stopped and rubbed at his arm where an arrow had grazed him and created a small cut. 

'Not fast enough, Flash,' Oliver grinned, but found himself disarmed and on his back in less than 5 seconds. 

'Clearly I am,' Barry grinned down at him from above where he now had Oliver pinned to the ground.

Oliver paused briefly and looked into the playful face of the man above him. He felt something stir within him that he hadn't felt in years, since before the island when his life had taken a turn to the dark side and never recovered. Barry was bright, a beacon of hope, and Oliver could not remember the last time being around another person had made him feel so light, happy. Was this the love that Felicity had spoken of? The love of a fairytale? Oliver's heart stirred in longing, and he felt like all he wanted to do was take the man above him in an embrace and connect their lips. 

Barry smirked, and the moment was broken. Oliver could not stand to let him win, and rolled them over to try and pin Barry to the ground. Barry was up and away before Oliver could blink and Oliver continued to roll until he reached his bow. 

'Ready for round two?' Oliver growled, and aimed ready to fire. Despite his growing feelings for Barry, it felt so good to have a real moving target to aim at again, and Oliver would not hold back from the challenge. 

Barry nodded, determined, and charged. 

 

–--

 

The sun was high in the sky by the time Oliver felt his strength fade to the levels that it had been at before he took the strength potion. He pulled off his gloves and raised his hand to get Barry's attention. The speedster was by his side in a second. 

'Something wrong, Ollie?' Barry asked, and frowned as Oliver coughed into his hand. 'What happened to your hand? It looks worse than yesterday.'

'It's a part of the curse. As it progresses my dominant bow hand will grow more frail and sickly looking,' Oliver explained. 'A cruel twist of fate, no doubt designed as revenge for the hand that I took from Malcolm Merlyn.' 

'Ouch, so that's why you've been using your left hand to pull back your bowstring,' Barry commented. 

Oliver nodded. 'I also think that your potion is wearing off. I can feel my strength fading.'

'It didn't last as long as I'd hoped,' Barry frowned. 'It's ok, you rest, I'll take another look at it.'

Oliver groaned and stifled a yawn. 'I don't need to rest, Barry.'

'Clearly you do,' Barry insisted with a small smile. 'I was going to be done soon anyway, using my speed so much has really depleted my energy. I need to eat. Anyway, I've learned a lot this morning, I can dodge much better than I could before, and I even caught a few!'

'You are improving,' Oliver agreed and this time did not stop his yawn. 'All right. 'I'll take lunch and a few hours rest. I'll meet you in the entrance hall at six.'

Barry nodded and they headed inside together. They grabbed lunch and then went their separate ways, Oliver to his room, and Barry to the lab to see what he could do about Oliver's strength. 

 

–--

 

Barry had left attempt number two of the potion to brew, had finished making a mask for Oliver, and was analysing the two sample's of Oliver's blood when Felicity found him.

'Hey Barry. 'What's up?' Felicity asked as she sat beside him at the table.

'Oh, hey, Felicity. I found a sample of Oliver's blood before the curse took hold in the freezer, so I thought that I'd take a look,' Barry explained and was about to continue when Felicity interrupted him.

'Oh my god you're trying to clone Oliver!' Felicity exclaimed.

Barry shook his head frantically and held up his hands. 'No, no, I'm just trying to find a scientific cure to this curse,' Barry frowned in thought. 'Not that cloning him is a bad idea...I bet Star labs could...'

'Barry Allen!' Felicity exclaimed and her hands flew over her mouth in shock. Barry smiled at her sheepishly. 

'Don't worry, I don't think even I could manage that,' Barry frowned as he looked again at the microscope. 'I just can't figure it out. Oliver's blood from before and after the curse doesn’t have any noticeable differences. There's nothing wrong with his DNA. It's as if this curse really is magic.' 

'We've seen some strange things with relation to Damien Darhk,' Felicity sighed. 'He could stop Oliver in his tracks just by raising his hand. I think that it is magic.'

Barry sighed. 'I want to help him, Felicity. I feel like he understands me on a level that no one else would ever come close to. Meta humans, magic, if all that is possible, then surely a cure is? I've already improved his strength.'

Felicity smiled sadly and thought of the real cure for the curse. 'Not everything can be solved with science, Barry.'

'I know, I just feel like I owe it to Oliver to try,' Barry insisted. 'He's a good person.'

'You always saw the best in him even from the start,' Felicity smiled and asked curiously, 'Why is that? Oliver had been nothing but a jerk to you.' 

'Oh he just had his 'Arrow' persona on,' Barry laughed. 'That guy is a douche, but Oliver? Ollie is something else entirely.'

'He told you?' Felicity asked in wonder. In a few days, they really had gotten close.

'No, I figured it out,' Barry laughed and grabbed the new strength potion he had been working on. 'He wasn't doing the best job of hiding it, and giving me full access to the place where he stashes his suit was a mistake if he didn't want me to find out. Come on, I promised that I'd meet Oliver for dinner.'

Felicity looked at Barry closely. His eyes lit up when he spoke about Oliver, and he was so determined to help him. There was certainly admiration there, but love? Was it possible? Felicity shook her head and followed Barry out. It was a sad thought that only time would tell. Barry held Oliver in a high regard now, but time was something that they were running out of rapidly. Even if Barry were to fall in love with Oliver in the short time that Oliver had left, there was no guarantee that Oliver would feel the same in return and learn to trust him completely. 

'This situation is beyond messed up,' Felicity muttered under her breath as she followed Barry out. 'Why does Oliver have to meet the one person that might break through his walls to break the curse so close to his birthday?' 

 

Unknown location, Starling city

 

'We need to get rid of him, what if he breaks the curse?' Malcolm Merlyn huffed as he paced in front of Damien Darhk. 

'Don't worry about it, my new associate will put an end to this boy,' Darhk snapped his fingers and a frightening blurred man appeared in front of them. 'I'd like to introduce Zoom.'

'Woah,' Merlyn exclaimed. 'What is it?'

'He is our ticket to getting rid of Oliver.' Darhk turned to Zoom. 'I have located the speedster that you seek. I only ask that you break him beyond repair and let nature do the rest. I need him to die in Queen's arms to break him completely.'

'Of course,' Zoom nodded, voice gravelly and terrifying. 'And as agreed?'

'Yes, once he is taken care of, Central city will be yours to control and together we can branch out to take over the entire world.'

'Understood,' Zoom growled, and in an instant he was gone.

'Is that kid really a speedster?' Malcolm asked after Zoom had left.

Darhk shrugged. 'There is a possibility that he is Central city's hero, the Flash. If he is, we get rid of two threats to our power at once, and if he isn't, at least we get rid of any chance that the Arrow has to break the curse.'

Malcolm laughed, but it was hesitant. 'He makes me nervous, are you sure that you can trust him?'

'Not entirely no,' Damien shrugged. 'We need his power and are running out of options though.'

'I could kill him myself?' Malcolm suggested.

'With one hand?' Darhk laughed. 'Don't be absurd. If he does turn out to be the Flash, neither of us stand a chance. We use a speedster to kill a speedster, and then reap the rewards afterwards.'

Malcolm sighed and looked down at his remaining hand. 'I'm going to prepare to leave for Central city tomorrow to find Thea then. It's nearly time.'

Damien nodded. 'I will continue to move our plans to take Central city forward. If I do not see you before then, I will meet you at the Queen mansion on our dear Oliver's birthday. I think that it will make a lovely base of operations once we wash his blood from the walls.'

Malcolm smirked. 'Yes, I rather think that it will.' 

 

Back at the Queen Mansion

 

Felicity headed into the hallway and frowned when she heard raised voices. Barry had gone on ahead to meet Oliver and she wondered what had happened. She stopped in the shadows and listened as the scene in front of her unfolded. 

'Tell me who you are,' Oliver growled and stalked towards a man who had a gun held in front of him with his bow drawn and his hood down. 

'Ollie, it's fine,' Barry started to explain, but Oliver interrupted him.

'He shot at me, Barry. It's not fine,' Oliver insisted and indicated towards his grazed arm. 

'I won't tell you anything,' the man insisted stubbornly. 'Lower your weapon and step away from Allen or I'll shoot you again, and I won't miss this time.'

Oliver advanced and let loose two arrows. One knocked the man's gun away and to the side and the other embedded in the man's shoulder. Oliver stalked towards him menacingly and gripped the arrow tightly. 

Barry was at his side in an instant, a look of horror and disbelief in his eyes. 'Leave him alone Ollie,' Barry insisted and grabbed at Oliver's hands.

'Only if he tells me who he is and why he is here,' Oliver growled and broke away from Barry to twist the arrow.

The man let out a scream and Barry reacted quickly. He pulled back his fist and punched Oliver hard in the face. Oliver staggered and let go of the arrow and the man took his chance to run. 

'I know him, he works at the precinct. He has a wife and two children, Oliver!' Barry exclaimed hotly and folded his arms across his chest defiantly to prevent himself from reaching out and making sure that Oliver was ok.

Oliver clutched his cheek and glared at Barry. 'He should have told me who he was, and he shouldn't have shot me!' 

'Heroes don't torture people. You could have easily just disarmed him,' Barry threw back and Oliver noticed the look of disappointment in his eyes.

'Sorry to disappoint you Barry, but I'm not a hero. In my city, people that I care about get hurt regularly, my best friend was murdered, my mother was killed in front of me. I have to be ready to make tough choices and do whatever it takes without hesitation, because if I don't then people die,' Oliver insisted bluntly. 

'My mother was murdered in front of me too, but I don't use that as an excuse to torture whoever pisses me off!' Barry insisted. 'I'm better than that. I thought that we both were.'

Oliver was momentarily stunned. He knew that Barry's mother had been murdered, but to hear that this man, this beautiful breath of fresh air, had witnessed such a tragedy at a young age? It was shocking, especially considering Barry's general optimism and carefree nature. 

It was not enough to break through Oliver's frustration however. 'Maybe I'm not as emotionally healthy as you, Barry,' Oliver scoffed and tried to keep the hurt he felt from his expression. 'This is who I am. If you don't like it then you don't have to stay here. You know your way back to Central.'

Barry's eyes crackled with energy and for a moment Oliver felt afraid by the anger that he saw there. 'Fine,' he yelled and thrust the potion at Oliver before he ran out of the door faster than Oliver could blink.

Oliver sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He felt a deep sense of loss coil in his chest and frowned at the feeling. 

'What the hell was that, Oliver?' Felicity shouted at him as she stalked towards him. 

'I was being myself, clearly Barry wasn't happy with that,' Oliver scowled, but he looked down at the vial that he held in his hand. Barry had spent all afternoon here, trying to help him out, when Oliver knew that the speedster could have easily left at any point.

'So you're just going to let him go out there, by himself?' Felicity exclaimed. 'I can't believe you. Go after him. Now!'

Oliver stalked off towards the lab to see if Barry had left the rest of his medication there. He had every intention of ignoring Felicity in the hope that she left him alone. Barry was more than capable of taking care of himself

He had no such luck. 

'It's getting dark outside Oliver, it's scary in the forest and he's so young. He doesn't have your survival instincts and the wolves are really hungry and protective this time of the year because they all have cubs to feed. You can't give up and just let him leave, let him be killed, he's your only hope!' Felicity exclaimed, and this time there were tears in her eyes. 

'I know what he was, Felicity,' Oliver growled. He did not need her to remind him that he had driven away his last chance, especially when he had begun to care for the young man. 

'Please, you'd never forgive yourself if something happened to him,' Felicity begged. 

'Barry can take care of himself,' Oliver insisted as he reached the lab. 'Now leave me alone.'

'Fine, I'm going to call John so that we can look for Barry. At least he has a heart!' Felicity exclaimed angrily through her tears and left Oliver to himself in the lab.

Oliver sighed as he watched her go. If she knew the truth about Barry and his powers, she wouldn't be as quick to judge him for his inaction. Although this was Felicity, and knowing her she would insist that he go regardless of what super powers Barry had. Oliver found his medication and took a dose in a single gulp. The foul taste only reminded him of Barry and he sighed heavily. It was then that his attention was drawn to the mask which lay on the desk. 

Oliver picked up the mask curiously. It was lightweight and when Oliver tried to pull and stretch it, it did not lose it's shape or break. He tried it on and was surprised to find that it was the perfect fit. Oliver grabbed his bow and realised that no matter which way he aimed the mask did not obstruct his vision at all. 

Barry's words to him yesterday came back to him and Oliver realised that the young man had exceeded all expectations. Barry had done this for him even though he knew that the likelihood of Oliver being able to don his hood again was slim. Barry listened to him, understood him more than anyone ever had been able to and broke down through his walls like they were made out of playing cards. He was worth fighting for.

Oliver downed the potion which Barry had thrust at him before he ran off and ran to the back of the lab to grab his suit. Once he was changed he ran out to his bike. He would never catch up to Barry, but at the very least he would make an appearance at Central city's Star labs and apologise for yelling and the torture of the police officer. Sometimes extreme measures were necessary in this line of work, but Oliver could admit that maybe on this occasion he had overreacted. 

 

–

 

Barry ran quickly through the forest and did not pay a lot of attention to where he was going. His thoughts were flying wildly around in his head. To think that he had trusted Oliver with his secret, had shared so many moments with him, had felt drawn to him in a way that he had never felt with anybody but Iris... Barry skidded to a halt in a clearing and could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Did he love Oliver?

'OK. Calm down,' Barry insisted and ignored that last thought for now as he began to pace. So the vigilantes methods were sometimes violent. He had known that before today. It was just a bit of a shock to see it in action. It was probably natural for Oliver to get defensive when someone broke into his home with a gun. Someone who he didn't know or recognise, who had tried to hurt him and then refused to say who he was.

Barry sighed. To Oliver, it was an extreme situation, and sometimes Oliver dealt in extremes, if the news reports on the Arrow were anything to go by. It wasn't Oliver's fault if whatever happened to him on that island had taught him the wrong lessons about drastic measures, which he then felt that he had to use in Starling. It still wasn't right that he had acted without thinking, refused to listen to him and shot the officer of course. Barry could only guess that Oliver had been in situations in the past where people wouldn't respond to anything else but torture and that there had been consequences for his hesitancy in the past which led to Oliver shooting first and asking questions later now. 

He could just leave, return to Central without looking back and pretend that none of this had ever happened, but his heart felt heavy at the thought of doing that. Oliver was lonely and hurt and Barry ran a hand through his hair as he remembered the hurt look that Oliver had tried to cover up just before Barry had left. It wasn't just that he felt sorry for Oliver though. Oliver was a hero, just like he was. He understood what it was like to protect your city and the pressures that came with it. He would also understand the deep pain that went with being unable to save everyone, every time.

Barry smiled. Oliver was also a fun sparring partner with a quick wit and when you could get him to laugh, it was magical. If Barry could get the strength potion right then Oliver could be someone that he could spar with without holding back. He could also be a good friend, maybe even more. Barry felt his cheeks flush slightly and shook his head. They had to get through this fight, first, but perhaps Oliver would be willing to give him a chance.

Barry nodded, determined to head back. His eyes crackled and he was about to speed off when a dark shape barrelled into him. Barry cried out and sped to the other side of the clearing. 

The blur became a man and growled, 'I am Zoom, and I am to be your end, Flash.'

Barry grinned, confident. The man had taken him by surprise, but if he could beat the man in yellow, he could beat any speedster. 'The last speedster who said that is dead, so I wouldn't hold out too much hope if I were you,' Barry shot back cheekily and engaged the man in a high speed fight which quickly spiralled out of control. 

 

–

 

Oliver was about to set off on his bike when he heard a horrifying scream split the air a little way off from the mansion. 'Barry,' Oliver panicked and pushed the bike off road through the trees towards the sound. He came to a clearing and swore that he saw a blur of blue light rush off and away from the scene in front of him.

Barry was surrounded by a pack of very menacing wolves with teeth bared ready to attack. The young man looked like he was struggling to stay conscious and Oliver watched as he vibrated slightly as if he were trying to speed away. Oliver threw his bike to the ground and let loose some arrows, startled with the speed with which he managed to fire. The potion that Barry had made must be to thank for that. Oliver felt stronger than the last time he had taken the potion and was almost at the strength he had been before the curse had struck him down. Three of the beasts fell quickly, but the rest turned towards this new threat. The alpha let out a howl and jumped towards Oliver. Oliver acted quickly and shot an arrow into one of the taller, sturdier trees to propel himself upwards. He struggled a little to get his footing: he had been used to buildings rather than trees in Starling, but he adjusted quickly. This was just like fighting in the wilderness on the island, only for higher stakes than his own life.

One of the wolves prowled back towards Barry as the rest circled the tree. Oliver let loose an arrow and struck the wolf nearest Barry. From up in the tree it was easy to pick off the remaining wolves and Oliver leapt hastily down from the tree. He winced as he landed but recovered quickly and rushed to Barry's side. 

'Barry...' Oliver sighed as he sank to his knees and took in the younger man's injuries. This couldn't have been done by wolves alone. He had to get Barry back to the mansion before he bled out.

Oliver's ears pricked up as he heard something rustling in the undergrowth and as he turned he was pounced on from behind. Oliver struggled briefly with the wolf that pinned him and brought up his bow to deflect it's teeth. Oliver rolled and shoved the animal away. He pushed himself to his feet but was unprepared for the second beast which latched onto his leg. Oliver winced and brought his fist down on the wolfs head. It let go and fell to the ground, unconscious. Oliver aimed an arrow at the first beast, which snarled viciously but did not advance. After a time, the animal backed down and ran into the forest. 

Oliver sighed with relief and slung his bow across his back. He would have to act quickly, the wolf was sure to be back with allies. 

Oliver winced as he hobbled over to Barry's side again. His leg hurt to put pressure on it, but he would manage. Barry was in a much worse state. Oliver knelt beside Barry and scooped him up to carry him over to his bike. It was tricky, but Oliver managed to manoeuvre Barry so that he could sit facing Oliver on the bike. Barry's head fell to rest on Oliver's shoulder and Oliver kept one arm around Barry and used the other to gun the throttle. This would be dangerous to both of them if they fell off, and it would likely cause some damage to his bike because he would have to stick to one gear, but it would be faster than attempting to carry Barry back to the mansion. Oliver tried not to think about how cold and lifeless Barry felt where he was pressed against him as he moved them steadily back towards the mansion.

They made it back without further incident and Oliver kicked the door shut just as a loud howl split the air. He held Barry's limp body close to him, bridal style, as he stalked up the stairs and towards their medical room.

'Felicity!' Oliver shouted as loud as he was able. 'Felicity, get over here right now!'

'What is it?' Felicity muttered, as she appeared in the hallway. She stopped dead still when she saw Barry in Oliver's arms. 'Oh my God, Oliver what happened to him!' 

'Wolves in the forest, but I'm sure that there was something else, although I didn't get a good look,' Oliver explained as he carried Barry into the medical room and placed him on the bed. 

'Oliver, I can do basic first aid, but this? These are pretty severe injuries,' Felicity panicked as she looked over Barry carefully. 

'We do the best that we can,' Oliver insisted and pulled the mask down around his neck. Together they worked on Barry to bandage his wounds and assess the damage. 

'It really doesn't look good for him, Oliver. I don't know what got to him before the wolves, but his back is broken. He has severe internal bleeding and his pulse is barely there. I think you need to say your goodbyes,' Felicity broke off, choked up with tears in her eyes. 'I'll leave you two alone.'

Felicity gave Barry's hand a squeeze and gave Oliver a one armed hug before she left the room. Oliver sat in a chair near the bed and reached out to hold Barry's hand tentatively. He sighed and found himself at a loss for words. How could he say goodbye to someone that he barely knew, yet felt closer to than anybody else? To someone who he could easily see himself falling in love with?

Oliver thought of Barry's smiles, his laugh, his carefree attitude and supportive nature and felt a pain in his chest and his eyes begin to tear up as he realised the severity of the situation. It had only been a few days and he was already in love with Barry. It was all his fault. If he had not wasted so much time before he went after him, Barry may not be in this situation now. Dying. He had killed the man that he loved, just like he hurt everyone else around him too. 

Oliver could not stop the sob that escaped him as he looked at the prone young man on the bed. He pulled his chair closer to Barry's bedside and decided that the least he could do for the young man was stay by his side so that he was not alone when the inevitable happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you liked it, even with a bit of a cliffhanger. 
> 
> I am sorry about the wolves. I really do love animals :)
> 
> I did a bit of research and I don't think that the concoction that Barry made is actually possible, so I have taken a few fairy tale liberties with it.
> 
> There is one more chapter to go, and I really hope to have that posted by tomorrow, although I still have a bit of writing for that one left to do as I ended up putting the end on hold whilst I read through the rest of the chapters for posting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm sorry for the delay. I did hope to have this up a couple of Sunday's ago, the last day for re-blogging Olivarry week prompts on Tumblr. I was reminded that it was my nan's birthday on that day though and so I didn't have as much time to work on this as I thought I would. She's over 80 and that's pretty amazing!
> 
> Then real life interfered and I had to go back to work, which is a complete drain at the moment as we currently have two out of four staff in our office signed off for stress, so I haven't had much time or energy afterwards! I've been working on this as much as I can whenever I've had the chance so that I can update as soon as possible :)
> 
> I've also decided to split this last chapter into two parts (at least), because it was getting far too long and I still had quite a bit that I wanted to write! So after this there will be one further chapter :)

The next morning, CCPD

Joe sighed and got up from his desk. It had all kicked off last night. Firestorm had been engaged with, and lost to, a mysteriously fast entity. Central city really needed Barry, but the number that his son had called from had been private and Joe had no way of contacting him. 

Suddenly, there was a commotion by the elevator and Joe stood to head over there quickly.

Quentin Lance was already there and was supporting one of his officers.

'Is that a gunshot wound?' Joe asked, as he took in the patch of red spreading across the man's shoulder.

'No, sir, it was an arrow,' the man gasped as every step jostled his wound.

'Christ, get an ambulance will you?' Lance yelled at one of the sergeants and directed the wounded officer to a chair. 'Here, sit. Tell me everything.'

'I got a tip on the Allen kid's whereabouts from the guy with the long hair who helps us out sometimes. He said that they last saw Allen at the Queen mansion, so I went to check it out. Allen was there. I think he must be a prisoner,' the officer explained.

'Oh God...' Joe exclaimed and was by the man's side in an instant. 'Are you positive? I spoke to Barry yesterday and he seemed fine.' 

'Yes sir. Allen recognised me and tried to stick up for me, but Queen is insane. He shot me with an arrow and I only escaped with my life because Allen has a pretty good right hook. I was hoping that Allen would be right behind me, but Queen must have grabbed him, and I needed to get away,' the man apologised and winced as he clutched at his arm. 'I'm sorry that it took so long to get back here. I nearly passed out a couple of times so I had to stop along the way.'

'It's all right, Simmons, you did good. We need to get to that mansion, now!' Joe exclaimed, and turned on his heel to head for the door. 

'Easy, Joe,' Quentin steadied him with a hand on his arm. 

'Quentin, that's my son that he's taken! He's already shot one of your men, Barry could be in danger,' Joe exclaimed.

'He's right,' Caitlyn said as she came in, trailed by Cisco. She took Joe to one side, out of earshot of the others. 'I'm sorry that we didn't tell you the truth sooner. A few days ago we were attacked in the middle of the forest by the speedster in yellow. Barry fought him, but they fell over a waterfall. Barry was injured and the man in yellow died. Me and Cisco came across the mansion when we were trying to find Barry and we were taken prisoner. Barry came across the same mansion and traded himself for our freedom. Queen valued Barry above the two of us for some reason. Barry was supposed to escape as soon as he had healed, but his injuries weren't too severe and he should have been back by now. I'm worried that he's in trouble.'

Joe sighed. 'If he's met the vigilante, he could well be.'

'I'm still not sure Caitlyn, what if it is like a fairytale?' Cisco commented. 'Barry could have found his handsome prince and be staying put because he wants to.'

'Cisco!' Caitlyn exclaimed and smacked his arm.

'Ow, what? Can't one of us be optimistic?' Cisco complained. Joe glared at him and turned to face a group of officers.

'The man that we are going after calls himself the Arrow and he has already shot one of our officers. He is to be treated with extreme caution and is assumed to be armed and dangerous,' Joe informed the officers around him. 'We get Barry back, alive. If the Arrow resists, we take him down with force.'

'Err guys...you might want to see this,' Cisco insisted, and the group turned to look at the TV, where an urgent broadcast was playing.

A man in a blue suit and a gruesome mask had the number one television studio hostage. He growled at the camera menacingly. 'I have killed your speedster, the Flash, and now I own your city. I am your new overlord and you will bow to me.'

'Who the hell is that?' Joe exclaimed. He felt a feeling of sick dread in his stomach as he processed the man's words. 

'I am Zoom, and if you resist me, you will answer to me,' Zoom grinned manically at the camera and the transmission ended. 

'Do you really think he killed B...the Flash?' Caitlyn asked quietly.

'I don't know,' Joe shook his head. 'Until we see proof, we can't believe it. Is there anything that you and Cisco can do to help us stop this guy?'

Cisco nodded. 'We had been working on a serum to try and drain the reverse Flash's speed. It's not done yet, but we can do our best to try and finish it before anyone else gets hurt.'

'I'll contact Firestorm in the meantime,' Caitlyn said and pulled out her phone. 'I just hope that he's recovered enough from last night.'

'OK. Right. You two do what you can, and let me know once you have something,' Joe insisted. 'The rest of us need to control this situation the best we can until the serum is done, or until someone finds the Flash.'

The next morning, Queen Mansion

Oliver groaned and opened his eyes when his ears picked up a shrill ringing noise. He blinked blearily as his eyes adjusted to the morning sunlight and sat up to stretch. His neck ached from the crooked position that he had slept in, with his chair pulled close and his head on the edge of Barry's bed. 

Oliver rubbed at his eyes and grabbed his phone from his pocket to look at the caller ID before he answered his phone. 'Laurel, what is it?'

'Oliver, you need to let Barry free so that he can come back to his family, right now,' Laurel insisted. 'The officer that you shot told Barry's foster dad that you were holding Barry prisoner. He's going to bring a task force to the mansion to arrest you and get Barry back, just as soon as the police have dealt with the current crisis.' 

'I can't,' Oliver felt a lump form in his throat and he managed to choke out, 'Barry was attacked. He's dying Laurel.'

'Oh my God, Oliver, what happened?' Laurel exclaimed.

'We fought and he ran into the woods. There were wolves. It's all my fault,' Oliver muttered into the phone and looked away sadly.

'It's not your fault, Ollie. We had a... difference of opinion. It happens.' Barry winced as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up. 'I really came close that time, huh?'

'Barry!' Oliver exclaimed and hung up on Laurel with a rushed goodbye. 'I thought that you were dying. Try not to move around too much.'

Barry nodded and groaned as his head began to ache from his attempts to sit up. He let it drop gently back down onto his pillow. 'What's the damage?'

'Broken spine, severe internal bleeding, a few broken bones. Felicity said that you didn't have long left to live. How are you even alive?' Oliver asked incredulously, but Barry could tell how relieved the other man was by his barely suppressed smile.

Barry let out a hiss of pain. 'I told you about my speed, right? That lightning strike didn't just put me in a coma and give me super speed, it changed my DNA. If I get hurt, I heal really quickly, provided that I'm otherwise healthy and have been eating enough to sustain myself.'

Oliver felt his lips twitch and he could not hold back a smile of relief. Barry would be fine. He would recover quickly and be back to normal in no time. Oliver rubbed a hand across his face and sighed. 'I thought that I'd lost you.'

'Honestly? I thought that I was done for too. The last thing that I remember is the wolves. What happened?' Barry asked. He observed Oliver quietly. Oliver looked exhausted. He must have at least fought off the wolves, and who knew what else? 

'I was going to follow you to Central, when I heard a scream. I found you in the forest, dealt with the wolves, and brought you back here,' Oliver explained, and thought of the blur of blue light that he had seen flee the scene. 'They weren't the only ones that attacked you though, were they?'

Barry shook his head and shuddered. 'No, there was a man, another speedster. He was faster than the man in yellow and creepier too, which I honestly didn't think was possible. We fought, and he broke me into pieces. I've never been so badly defeated.'

'At least you're alive,' Oliver murmured and reached out to pat Barry's leg to try and reassure the young man.

'Yeah, Thanks. I owe you.' Barry gave Oliver a small smile and looked down at his legs. He saw Oliver's hand and his eyes widened in shock. Oliver looked concerned and made as if to remove his hand. He thought that maybe he had stepped over some kind of boundary in their friendship, but Barry whimpered, and Oliver had never heard him sound so scared. 'Ollie, I can't feel my legs.'

Oliver reached out to raise the bed, so that Barry was more upright, and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

'Hey, hey, it's all right,' Oliver insisted and gave Barry's shoulder a squeeze. 'If what you said about your healing ability is true, you'll be fine in no time. It may just take longer than you are used to, because of the severity of your injuries.'

Barry nodded and took a deep breath to calm himself down. 'Thanks. You're right. I'll just wait a bit and see what happens.'

'Do you need anything?' Oliver asked carefully.

'Water, food. I haven't eaten since yesterday lunch time, and that could explain why I'm healing more slowly.' Barry replied and frowned in thought. 

'OK, I won't be long,' Oliver promised and released Barry's shoulder. He stood to leave and winced when his leg twinged. 

'You're bleeding! You should get that seen to!' Barry insisted when he glanced over and saw Oliver's leg.

Oliver looked down at the leg of his suit, which was torn and bloodied. 

'I'd forgotten about that,' Oliver grimaced. 

Now that he was aware of the bite again, it hurt. Oliver knew from experience that the wound could get nasty if it was left untreated, so he hobbled over to the sink. He pulled his pant leg up so that he could clean the wound and grabbed some bandages to cover it. 

Barry grinned when Oliver turned to him and he noticed the mask that he had made around Oliver's neck. It was the first smile that had reached his eyes since he had woken up. 'You like my mask!' 

'It's everything that I asked for,' Oliver smiled fondly at Barry. 'Your second potion was an improvement too. When I fought the wolves, I felt nearly as strong as I did before I was cursed. I might even be able to get back to my night job.' 

Barry smiled. 'That's good. Starling city could really use you, even if your methods are questionable sometimes.'

'I'm sorry about the police officer,' Oliver offered. 'I may have overreacted in his case. You have to understand that those methods are necessary when dealing with the extremes that I deal with in Starling city though.'

'I understand. I know that things are different in Starling city. He did shoot at you, and he did refuse to explain himself. I can see why you acted the way that you did. You could have listened to me though, and I would have told you who he was,' Barry protested.

'I know, I'm sorry,' Oliver sighed. 'In the past, if I haven't reacted quickly enough, people have died. It's a hard mentality to break.'

'It's fine, I get it,' Barry insisted earnestly. 'Whatever happened to you on that island, it must have been a kill or be killed way of life. I can't imagine how that would feel.'

Oliver looked at Barry gratefully. 'It was hell. But thank you, for trying to understand.'

Barry smiled at him and then looked down at his hands. 'It's OK. I could have handled the situation better too. Shouting at you and then running out was a bit dramatic of me.'

'You're a better man than me to admit that,' Oliver murmured. He knew that, had the situation been reversed, he would not have apologised for storming off. 

'You apologised, it's more than I expected,' Barry insisted, and he looked at Oliver with his gaze open and honest. 'You're still a good man, Ollie. Yes, sometimes you take things to the extreme, but you just need to learn that it isn't always necessary.'

Oliver nodded. 'Perhaps if I operated in Central city things would be different and I wouldn't need to resort to torture.'

'Yeah, but you'd also be in my city, so there would be none of that happening regardless of the situation. In Central, what I say, goes.' Barry grinned and smiled at Oliver brightly. 

'If you say so, Barry!' Oliver replied with a grin. 'I'll be back soon with your food.' 

Oliver left the room with a smile on his face and Barry sighed and placed his hands on his legs. It was no good, he still couldn't feel them. Barry hoped that Oliver was right and that he just needed more time to heal than usual. At least Oliver seemed determined to stay with him whilst he recovered. The thought brought a smile to his face, and Barry decided that he could easily learn to love Oliver. He just needed to know if Oliver would agree to go out with him and give him a chance. 

 

–

 

After he had eaten, Barry had struggled to keep his eyes open. He had drifted in and out of a light sleep for the next couple of hours. Every time he had woken up, Oliver had been by his bedside and Barry had felt his heart swell with affection. Oliver cared for him enough to stay by his bedside, and whilst he was recovering, it was enough for Barry to rest easy in the hope that his growing feelings were returned. 

The next time that Barry stirred, he felt much more alert. His eyes fluttered open and he groaned and shut them again to block out the sunlight which streamed into the room. His legs ached and it was with that realisation that Barry's eyes shot open. 

'Oliver! I can feel something in my legs!' Barry exclaimed and felt excitement creep through him. 'Help me up!'

'Are you sure that you should be getting up right away?' Oliver frowned, but he stood to move closer to Barry's side.

'Of course!' Barry nodded and his eyes shone with emotion. 'Please?'

Oliver nodded and slipped an arm around Barry's waist. 'All right. Swing your legs around then.'

Barry ignored the ache in his legs and moved around to tentatively place his feet on the floor. Oliver did not miss the grimace that crossed his face. Barry smiled through it. 'I'll be fine. I'm just sore.'

'OK, come on then,' Oliver replied and gently helped Barry to his feet. Barry leant against Oliver and let the other man support some of his weight. If he rested on Oliver a little more than was necessary, so that he could make the most of the feeling of Oliver pressed against his side, well, who could blame him? He was recovering from a severe spinal injury after all. 

Barry put one foot in front of the other and managed to take a few steps around the room with Oliver's help. He grinned up at Oliver and Oliver smiled back. 

'OK?' Oliver asked quietly.

Barry nodded. 'I'm fine. Let's try a few more steps.' 

'Sure,' Oliver smiled.

It was at that point that Felicity tentatively stuck her head in the door, prepared for the worst. She had given Oliver space to accept Barry's condition and had spent the night with Thea and Roy. Thea had promised to come back to the mansion later that evening to help her brother face his final days, but Felicity was dreading today, for more than one reason. She had grown to like Barry, and to lose him and Oliver so close to each other was just cruel. She stopped in surprise in the doorway when, instead of a dead man and a broody vigilante, she saw Oliver with an arm around Barry so that he could walk a few steps.

'Oh my God, how are you even alive, let alone standing!' Felicity exclaimed and then continued hurriedly. 'Not that it's a bad thing of course! It's good. Really good.' 

Felicity smiled broadly at their close proximity. 

Barry felt Oliver tense beside him and he gave Oliver's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Oliver looked at him and smiled and if Felicity were not standing in the doorway, the moment would have been perfect for Barry to just lean in and kiss him. 

Instead, Barry returned Oliver's smile and turned to Felicity to explain. 'I haven't been completely honest with you. I have super-healing and super-speed as a result of being struck by lightning a little over a year ago.'

'Oh. My. God. You're him!' Felicity yelled and Oliver winced at the volume. 'The Flash. Central city's guardian angel,' Felicity gushed. 'You're a hero!'

Barry flushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck. 'I wouldn't go that far, I just do what I think is right.'

'Let me see how your injuries are doing,' Felicity insisted as she rushed over to Barry's side. She pulled him over to sit on a bench, where she did a few scans and compared them to the ones from the night before. 'Amazing, you really do have super-healing.'

'How does it look?' Barry asked, as he stood to join Oliver and look over Felicity's shoulder at the scans.

'You're nearly completely healed, just a small fracture left on your spine,' Felicity explained. 'If you take it easy for a few hours, I'm sure that you will be as good as new.'

Barry smiled and tried to speed around the room. He frowned when nothing happened. 'If I've healed so well, then why can't I run?'

'You're lucky that you can walk!' Felicity exclaimed. 'Although, considering that you are nearly fully healed, I don't understand why you can't use your super speed either. A spinal fracture would slow a normal person down, perhaps it's still affecting you despite your abilities?'

'Or, it could be mental,' Oliver suggested. 'After such a harsh defeat, it's possible that you've lost faith in your abilities.'

'It's a possibility,' Felicity agreed. 'Just take care of your body, and your mind should follow.'

'So long as I eat enough, I'll be fine,' Barry smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. He hoped that the fracture was responsible. If the block on his speed was mental, he had no idea how to fix it. 'I'm hungry, shall we get lunch?'

'Sure,' Oliver agreed. 'I can help you with a strategy to beat the other speedster, in case you run into him again, whilst we eat. I've learnt a lot about your abilities, and I have a few theories of my own on how to best fight someone like you.'

'Thanks, I'd appreciate that,' Barry replied sincerely. 'Are you joining us, Felicity?'

'No, I already ate,' Felicity lied, so that she could leave the two alone. It was clear that there was something there between them, and she wanted to give it every chance to grow. 

Once Felicity had left, Oliver slipped an arm around Barry's waist and helped him down the stairs, towards the kitchen. Barry knew that he probably could have made the trip unaided, but he did not protest the warm arm anyway. It felt good to be close to Oliver, and he would take advantage of that whilst he could.

They grabbed lunch quickly and Barry led the way back to his room, this time without Oliver's arm around him so that they could carry as much food as possible. 

'I figured that I would be more comfortable on a bed, than on a seat or on the ground outside,' Barry explained as he got settled against the headboard. Oliver hesitated for a moment, before he joined Barry on the bed and sat beside him. 

'So, what do you think the best tactic is for beating a speedster?' Barry asked as they began to eat.

'Tactics. If I were fighting you seriously, I'd use a heavy dose of tranquilliser in one of my arrows and have one of my team distract you so that I could shoot you in the back,' Oliver explained. 'Or, I would bring the fight to a location where I had already set up traps designed to freeze you in your tracks.'

'Remind me never to get on your bad side,' Barry grinned. 'How did you know that cold is one of my weaknesses?'

'You said before that Captain Cold was one of your most interesting cases. I had a hunch about cold being an inconvenience to you based on that, and you just confirmed it.' Oliver shrugged. 'From there, it's only natural to assume that the same would be true for all speedsters.'

'Clever.' Barry nodded to himself. 'If I run into that speedster again, will you help me fight him?'

'Of course,' Oliver agreed, but then added sadly, 'As long as the curse doesn't kill me first.'

Barry shook his head and stared at Oliver earnestly. 'I promise that I won't let you die, Ollie. My potion worked, so whose to say that I can't figure out a complete cure?' Or, Barry thought to himself, maybe they could break the curse with true love. It was worth a shot, worth a dinner date at least to see how deeply his own feelings ran and to see if Oliver felt a similar connection.

'Maybe,' Oliver muttered glumly. He knew that Felicity had tried everything that she could think of and that there really was only one cure. 'How are your legs?' 

'I can feel them getting stronger. I've never broken my back before though, so I have no idea how long I will take to heal completely.' Barry frowned. 'I still can't feel my speed at the moment, but at least I can walk again.'

'You'll get there,' Oliver reassured him. 'Most people would have been killed or paralysed for life if they were injured so severely. This ability of yours is really something.' 

'Yeah, it's a shame that I can't give it to you and help you heal your curse.' Barry sighed. 'Still, I suppose that it could be worse.' 

'I'm an archer whose hand is crippled, and unless I find true love I'm doomed,' Oliver insisted. 'How could that possibly be worse, Barry?'

'I'm a speedster and that monster broke my back. When I woke up, I couldn't feel my legs and I still can't use my super speed,' Barry countered, and he suddenly felt vulnerable. He looked down at his hands and closed his eyes. Oliver could see that Barry's lower lip trembled and his face scrunched up with worry. 'That same monster is still out there, doing who knows what, and I can't do anything about it. Let's just agree that we are both in a crappy situation right now.'

Oliver nodded and retrieved a bottle from a cabinet near the bed. Perhaps a drink would cheer Barry up. 'Whiskey?'

'No point,' Barry smiled wistfully. 

'Why not?' Oliver asked curiously as he opened the bottle.

'When I got my powers, I lost the ability to get drunk. My metabolism is way too fast. Still, at least I can eat as much pizza as I want.'

'Wow...' Oliver took a swig from the bottle. 'I take it back, you have it worse. On days like today a drink is the only thing that keeps me going.'

'Yeah, I could use a drink right now,' Barry murmured and sprawled out beside Oliver on the bed. He felt tears well up in his eyes and willed them away. He felt so lost right now and he needed some form of comfort. Barry looked up at Oliver and decided that it was OK, he could ask for it. He didn't think that Oliver would deny him. 'I'll settle for a hug though?'

Oliver's eyes widened in surprise at the request, but one look at Barry confirmed that the young man looked wrecked. Dark shadows circled his eyes and he looked pale and lost. Oliver hadn't experienced that kind of intimacy in a while, and he felt his heart beat faster at the thought of holding Barry close. He could not deny the young man comfort when he looked so vulnerable. Oliver nodded once and lay down beside the young man, who rolled over instantly and snuggled into Oliver's chest with a contented sigh. 

'Thank you,' Barry murmured and sighed. 'I'm just so worried. What if that speedster goes to Central? If I couldn't take Zoom down, then Firestorm doesn't stand a chance. Even if I were completely recovered, I don't think that I could stop him. He already beat me within an inch of my life, Oliver.'

'I understand what it's like to lose like that, Barry,' Oliver sympathised and slipped his arms around the younger man's back. He felt a wave of protectiveness towards the young man as he held him close and spoke from the heart. 'It never gets any easier, especially when people die because of it, people that you failed to protect. If you face him again, if he goes to Central, I will do everything in my power to help you to stop him before anyone is hurt,' Oliver promised, and added silently to himself that he would order his team to look out for Barry after he was gone.

'Thanks Ollie. I'm glad that I met you,' Barry replied through a yawn. 

Oliver felt his heart lighten as Barry nuzzled his face into Oliver's chest. Barry was warm and fit snugly against him and Oliver revelled in the feeling of being held by someone who understood him more than anyone else did, someone that he had grown to love more dearly than he had ever thought possible. 

'Me too,' Oliver murmured quietly and settled down to rest, more comfortable than he had been in years.

Meanwhile in Starling city.

Damien Darhk's face scrunched up in disgust as his magic mirror showed the Arrow cuddled around the recovering speedster. This was not how the plan was meant to proceed. Zoom had failed. Darhk moved forward to punch his fist against the wall by the magic mirror. None of them had predicted the speedster's amazing healing abilities.

Malcolm Merlyn approached stealthily through a side door and Darhk scowled at him as soon as he made his presence known. 'This is your fault. You said that Oliver Queen was not capable of falling in love.'

Malcolm held up his hands in protest. 'The curse isn't broken yet, which means that one of them has doubts. There is still time for the curse to complete. This is no one's fault. None of us anticipated the speedster.'

'You should deal with him, whilst he is crippled,' Darhk insisted. 'He cannot be allowed to live in case they push past their doubts and break the curse.'

'Oh no, I'm not doing it,' Malcolm protested and held up his arm. 'I only have one hand, and in case you had forgotten, my weapon of choice was a bow. No, you do it. Queen is no match for your powers and he will be unable to do anything but watch on as you kill his love.'

Darhk made a face of distaste, but nodded reluctantly. 'Fine. I will go to Queen's mansion and end the speedster. By that point Oliver will be too broken to pick himself up again and find someone else to love. He's only two days off 30 after all.'

'Perfect,' Malcolm grinned. 'I was just leaving for Central. Once Thea's brother is gone she will be mine again.'

Darhk smiled sadistically. 'More importantly, I will control two cities, and from there, the whole country.'

They each laughed manically and exited the room to go their separate ways, confident that they no one could stop the events that they had put into motion.

Back at Queen Mansion

When Oliver stirred a few hours later he smiled when he realised that he was wrapped around Barry in a comfortable embrace. Oliver buried his nose in Barry's shoulder and sighed as he held Barry just a little bit closer. Oliver shifted slightly, and his eyes widened when he realised that his grip on Barry's waist was firm and strong.

The strength potion that Oliver had taken yesterday had faded from his system before he and Barry had dozed off and Oliver lifted his right hand to look at it. His eyes widened slightly as he realised that his hand was not as pale and deathly as it had been yesterday. Were his feelings for Barry reversing some of the damage that the curse had inflicted? 

Oliver frowned. He had never experienced improvement of the symptoms of the curse with any of the others, despite professing his love for them, and he had yet to tell Barry how he felt. Perhaps it was because he felt like he could trust Barry completely. Oliver knew that he had loved Felicity, but there were some things that he had felt unable to tell her and some things that she would never be able to understand. 

Oliver knew that the warm, fond, feeling that he experienced every time he looked at Barry was definitely not a new feeling. Oliver felt fond of a lot of people, Thea, Diggle, Felicity, Laurel and Roy among them, but with Barry, that connection felt stronger than any feeling that Oliver had ever felt before. Oliver smiled and was unable to resist pressing a quick kiss to Barry's forehead.

Felicity's squeal from over by the door broke Oliver out of his thoughts and he pulled back slightly. 'Oh, that is so cute!'

Oliver huffed and grabbed a spare pillow from the other side of the bed. He hurled it in the direction of the door. 'Get out, Felicity!'

'Oh no, not until you talk to me!' Felicity ducked and grinned. 'I want the whole story!'

Oliver sighed and reluctantly let go of Barry to stand up. He smiled as Barry snuggled into the warmth where Oliver had been a second before. 'Not here. I don't want to wake him.'

Felicity backtracked out of the room and Oliver walked with her down to the kitchen. Barry was bound to be thirsty when he woke up.

'So, what happened? Did you break the curse?' Felicity pressed when they reached the kitchen and frowned at him. 'You're still all scarred and stuff.'

'He was feeling lonely and vulnerable. I was just looking out for him,' Oliver sighed heavily. 'I know that I don't have a lot of time left, but I won't force him to love me, Felicity. He doesn't need that kind of pressure.' 

Felicity looked at Oliver carefully, and then her eyes widened. 'Oh my god, you love him!' 

Oliver closed his eyes and nodded. His lips twitched between a smile and a frown. 'Even if he doesn't love me in return, these past few days have been the happiest moments of my life. I'm just glad that I met him.'

'What did you tell him about the curse?' Felicity asked quietly. 'You clearly didn't tell him that you have a timer over your head.'

'He knows that the curse could kill me, but he maintains that he will find a way to break the curse and that he won't let me die,' Oliver smiled fondly.

'He certainly is determined,' Felicity agreed. 'You should have seen him when he was working on your potions.'

Oliver grinned. 'That's one word for it.' 

'Oliver, he likes you well enough. Why don't you have dinner together and see how it goes? If Darhk was right, you only have two days left. You have nothing left to lose,' Felicity insisted, and Oliver could see tears in the corners of her eyes. He reached out to hold her close.

'I'll think about it,' Oliver promised and pulled away when she wiped her eyes. 'Come on, I want to be there when Barry wakes up.'

Felicity smiled sadly and followed Oliver back up to Barry's room. There would be no thinking about it. If she had it her way this dinner was happening one way or another. Barry was Oliver's last hope. She just hoped that she had read the signs right and Barry cared for Oliver enough to break the curse. 

 

–--

 

When Barry woke, he was warm and comfortable. He sighed happily and buried his face into the warmth by his side. His legs felt much better and Barry stretched languidly and opened his eyes.

'Are you feeling better?' a voice asked and Barry looked up to see that it was Oliver who had spoken. It had been Oliver's chest that he had snuggled into.

'Much better,' Barry smiled and nodded, and his cheeks flushed a little. 'Thanks, for staying.'

'It was nothing,' Oliver insisted and sat up to hand Barry a glass of water.

Barry took it and quickly downed it. 'Thanks, can I get something to eat too?'

'Of course,' Oliver nodded slowly. 'Actually, about that...' Oliver paused as his ears picked up a disturbance, a loud crash. It sounded like someone had knocked the main doorway down. 

'Is something wrong?' Barry asked as Oliver stood and headed for the door.

'I thought that I heard something in the main entrance hall,' Oliver frowned. 

'Let's go and check it out then,' Barry insisted and leapt off the bed. He attempted to speed over to Oliver and groaned when nothing happened. Barry sighed and joined Oliver at a regular speed.

'You'll get there,' Oliver smiled as they left the room together. 'Come on.'

Oliver paused to grab a spare bow and a few arrows from his room and then he and Barry continued down the hallway towards the bottom of the main staircase.

'Ah, the man of the hour,' Damien Darhk grinned sadistically as he stepped out of the shadows in the hallway below. 'Oh and his little boy toy is here too, this makes my job far easier.'

Darhk held his hand out and Barry felt an invisible force grip his neck. Barry moved his hands quickly to his throat, but his eyes widened when he could feel nothing around his neck. He began to choke and attempted to gasp for air as his airway began to close off.

Oliver acted quickly and let loose an arrow towards Darhk. Darhk held up his other hand and stopped the arrow in front of himself with a laugh. 'Still as useless as ever, Oliver.'

Darhk's eyes widened as Oliver followed through with a tackle immediately after he had let loose the arrow. Darhk fell to the floor with Oliver in a tangle of limbs and Barry felt the force around his neck disappear. 

Barry dropped to his knees and gasped for air. He raised a hand to his neck and coughed as he watched the man gain the upper hand. Oliver was caught in a choke hold and was struggling to fight back. Barry bit his bottom lip as he realised that Oliver had not taken the strength potion in a while and without it, he would struggle to fight.

'I won't let you hurt him,' Oliver insisted and broke free to let loose a punch towards the man's head. 

Darhk rolled away and got to his feet. He advanced towards Oliver and reached out his hand to grasp Oliver's chest. Oliver winced as he felt his energy draining and he struggled to get away.

'I don't think that you have a choice. I will kill him and then it will end you,' Darhk smirked and threw Oliver to the floor. 

Oliver gasped and rolled over onto his side. His bow clattered away from him and he clutched at his chest.

Barry looked on as Oliver struggled to get to his feet. His whole body felt paralysed with a deep fear for Oliver's life. There was nothing that he could do, he was helpless. Afraid of the man that could use magic to stop him in his tracks so easily and unable to feel the Speed Force within him. This must have been the man that had cursed Oliver to a half life, hidden away in his mansion, Barry realised. He swallowed around a lump in his throat as Oliver stopped moving. It was over. No. No it couldn't be. This was Oliver. Barry could not let him die. He had made a promise and he intended to keep it.

The man turned his attention to Barry and smirked. Barry closed his eyes tight and willed away the image of the man in front of him and forced his body to stop trembling. He could not be afraid, not now. Barry took a deep breath and cleared his mind of everything else. He focused on the beat of his own heart and willed himself to feel the Speed Force again, to remember how it felt when it coursed through him, whenever he ran. 

When Barry opened his eyes again, they crackled with a familiar energy and he wasted no time. He flew to his feet and did the only thing that he could think of which might disrupt their attackers power. Barry sped around in a circle as fast as he was able to and hoped that he could create a tornado powerful enough to disrupt the man's powers. Barry blinked when he noticed that the sparks of electricity flying off him as he ran seemed to crackle ominously. He watched in slow motion as the man used his magic to control the arrow from earlier. The man had seen how fast Barry was moving and had turned his focus back to Oliver, who had stood to face the man again. 

Barry cried out and flung himself forward. The tornado would have to stay small, he had to get to Oliver. Barry felt his hand grasp the arrow just before it hit Oliver's chest and he threw it to the ground and away from Oliver. The mini tornado that Barry had created had ripped up some of the banisters and the man who had been attacking them had taken cover in the confusion. 

Barry turned his attention to Oliver as the tornado lost momentum.

'Are you OK?' Barry asked, as he looked Oliver over critically for any injuries. 

'Fine,' Oliver ground out and held a hand to his throat. He coughed a few times and cleared his throat. 'What was that?'

'I ran so fast that I created a tornado. Sorry about your stairs,' Barry apologised. 'What now?'

'Now, you both die,' Darhk insisted and advanced towards them both.

Oliver placed himself in front of Barry and stood his ground. 'I told you that I won't let you hurt him Damien,' Oliver insisted and braced himself.

'Fine, then I will just have to bring your death forward,' Darhk sighed. 'Such a shame too. I really would have preferred it if you would just watch him die.' 

Oliver shook his head defiantly and Darhk raised his hand. He had seen that Barry was willing to risk everything for Oliver and intended to use that against the speedster. 

'Make one move and I will kill him,' Darhk directed towards Barry. 

'You're going to kill us anyway!' Barry shouted and sped around the room. 

Oliver blinked and suddenly found that he had his bow in his hand with an arrow ready to fire. He did not hesitate. Oliver lined up for a shot to the chest, which should sufficiently incapacitate Darhk, and let loose his arrow.

Darhk had underestimated just how fast the speedster was. Before he could move to stop Oliver's arrow, the speedster was running around him too fast for Darhk to process where the arrow was. In slow motion, Barry brought his arm back, completely in tune with the Speed Force. He let loose a lightning bolt generated from the same sparks of electricity that he had noticed flying off his body earlier. 

The lightning bolt struck Darhk at the same time as Oliver's arrow did and Darhk staggered and shuddered as he clutched at his chest and fell to the ground. Barry ignored the twitching man and rushed to Oliver's side.

'He didn't hurt you did he?' Barry asked. and when Oliver shook his head, he closed his eyes briefly in relief. 'Good.'

'That was impressive,' Oliver commented and saw Barry's eyes widen as he processed what had happened. 'What?'

'I think that I just threw lightning from my hands, Oliver. That's never happened before,' Barry frowned and rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly.

Oliver smiled and slipped an arm over the younger man's shoulder's. 'It's still impressive,' Oliver insisted. 'That move is banned when we spar.'

'Oh, of course! I wouldn't want to hurt you!' Barry replied instantly. He frowned and looked towards the prone man hesitantly. 'I didn't kill him, did I?'

Oliver smiled grimly and removed his arm from Barry's shoulders. He moved towards Darhk and bent down to feel for a pulse. Oliver shook his head slowly. 'He's dead,' Oliver announced, and turned to Barry to see that the younger man looked panicked.

'I wasn't going to kill him!' Barry insisted, and he was at Oliver's side in an instant to double check. Barry grimaced and looked away when he felt no pulse. 

'You threw lightning at him Barry, what did you think that it would do?' Oliver asked gently.

'Knock him out, maybe? When I was struck by lightning, I didn't die!' Barry protested.

'You also didn't die when your back was broken and you had severe internal bleeding,' Oliver pointed out. 'You're special.'

Barry nodded and flushed slightly at the compliment, but his face was grim. 'I've never killed anyone before.'

'It's not a good feeling,' Oliver admitted. 'All you can do is live with it. If it makes you feel better though, he wasn't a very nice man and the lightning alone wouldn't have killed him. The arrow that I shot at him would have contributed to his death. We are both to blame.'

Barry looked towards the man and shuddered visibly.

'Thank you,' Oliver offered, in an attempt to make Barry feel better. 'You really are like a guardian angel. You saved my life.' 

Barry nodded decisively and turned away from Darhk's corpse. 'I do what I can. I'm just lucky that my speed came back when it did.'

Oliver nodded and moved to stand beside Barry. 'Are you going to be OK?'

Barry nodded, but then he held out his arms. 'I might need another hug.'

Oliver raised an eyebrow at him and Barry shrugged. 'I'm a very tactile person, Ollie, and I've been through a lot recently.'

'You know, I'm not really a hugger,' Oliver insisted and smiled awkwardly. He held his arms open regardless though. 

'Smart man, you must have realised that I could just speed in and hug you without you even knowing it,' Barry grinned and stepped closer. 

Oliver nodded and circled his arms around Barry's waist. He let his head rest on Barry's shoulder and breathed in deeply. Oliver could not stop the smile that spread across his face when Barry nuzzled his neck. He moved a hand up to hold the back of Barry's head and ruffled his hair as he pulled him closer. This felt good, this felt right. 

Oliver sighed when Barry pulled back and he suddenly felt very aware of just how few days he had left. It was now or never. 

'Have dinner with me,' Oliver said, and then remembered that Barry liked to be asked, not ordered, and added, 'Please.'

'I always do, Ollie,' Barry smiled and looked at him with bright eyes. 

'I know, but just the two of us this time,' Oliver insisted and clasped his fingers together behind his back nervously. 

'Like a date?' Barry asked and Oliver nodded hesitantly. Barry's face brightened instantly. 'OK, I'd like that a lot.'

'Oh, that's so sweet!' Felicity exclaimed and clapped her hands together as she walked over the collapsed door. 'I'll get Diggle to cook for you, and I can wait the table, it will be so romantic!'

'Felicity...' Oliver began, but by then Felicity had noticed the state of the hallway.

'Oliver Queen, what did you do?!' Felicity exclaimed as she took in the broken bannisters, a hole in the ceiling and debris from some of the hallway tables scattered everywhere. It was then that she noticed Darhk's corpse. 'Oh God, is that Damien Darhk? You killed him? What about your vow?'

'It was an accident!' Barry insisted. 'We both shot him at the same time.'

Oliver nodded in agreement. 'Normally, my shot would not have been a kill shot, but when it was combined with a lightning bolt, it was too much for him.'

'A lightning bolt? Barry?' Felicity mused with wide eyes and refused to look at the corpse in the hallway.

'Hey, I'd never done it before, I didn't know what to expect!' Barry protested and looked down and away. Oliver took his hand and squeezed it gently. Barry looked up at him and smiled a small smile. 

'Right...I'll get John to help me deal with this,' Felicity insisted with a wave of her hand towards Darhk and the entrance hall. 'You two get ready for your dinner.'

'We're good as is,' Oliver shrugged and brushed off some dust from his shirt.

'Oliver Queen, you have ceiling debris in your hair! At least have a shower!' Felicity protested and Barry laughed. 'You need one too,' Felicity turned on him and pointed at his chest.

'I know,' Barry shrugged and dashed off. He was back in an instant, showered and dressed in clean clothes. He turned to Oliver. 'Is this too informal? I had no idea what to wear and I had to make the best of what I could borrow.' 

Oliver looked Barry up and down appreciatively. Barry had decided on black formal trousers and a white shirt. He had left the top button undone and a red tie hung loosely around his neck. 'Perfect,' Oliver smiled and leaned over to kiss Barry's cheek. 'I'll go and get changed. I won't be as fast as you were though.'

'You have half an hour!' Felicity yelled at his retreating back and Oliver held up a hand and waved casually. 

Barry smiled in the direction that Oliver had left in and raised a hand to his cheek. He shook his head and turned to Felicity. 'Do you need a hand with anything?'

'Oh no, you sit and wait in the dining room,' Felicity insisted. Her eyes lit up and she smiled warmly at him. 'I'm not much of a cook, but I can help John out at the very least. This is so exciting, I knew that you liked Oliver!'

Barry shook his head and smiled as he watched Felicity dash off and moved at super speed to the dining room, just because he could. Just to feel his power again brought a smile to his face. Barry let himself out onto the balcony and rested his elbows on the stone wall. The wind rustled his hair slightly, and Barry was reminded of the freedom that he felt when he ran. Although he had come close, he had not lost that power, that freedom. He had not lost Oliver either, and now they were even going to get the dinner together. A date. Barry grinned and looked out over the forest as he waited for Oliver to return. Whatever happened tonight, Barry knew that he and Oliver would always be friends, although he hoped very much that they would become more than that. 

 

–

 

When Oliver came downstairs to an empty dining room his heart clenched for a moment, until his keen eyes spotted the open door by the window. He slipped outside before Felicity could notice him and moved to stand on the balcony beside Barry, who was staring off into the distance. 

'Like what you see?' Oliver smirked, and saw Barry jump slightly before he turned to face Oliver. 

Barry looked Oliver up and down appreciatively. 'Very much so,' Barry grinned and grabbed Oliver's green tie to pull him into a searing kiss. It took Oliver a moment to recover, but when he did he groaned and moved his hands to rest on Barry's hips as he kissed back.

Barry cupped Oliver's cheek and brushed his nose against Oliver's affectionately as he pulled back. 'Sorry, was that too much? We haven't even had our first date yet.'

Oliver shook his head. 'No, I've wanted to kiss you since our first sparring session,' Oliver admitted breathlessly.

'Since I pinned you?' Barry asked with a cheeky grin and moved his hands to rest around Oliver's shoulder's.

Oliver nodded and leaned his forehead against Barry's. 'I wasn't sure that you were interested.'

'Oh, there you are,' Felicity interrupted and smiled broadly when she noticed how closely they were embraced. 'Dinner's ready. I've left everything out. I'll be in the basement with my computers if you do need me.' 

'Thank you, Felicity,' Oliver offered and smiled at her. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

'Bye, Felicity,' Barry smiled and turned to Oliver. 'Shall we, Arrow?' 

Barry held his arm up and Oliver slipped his own through it. 'Lead the way, Flash.'

Barry and Oliver moved through into the dining room together and although the table was long and wide, Felicity had set up two places close to each other. Barry smiled when he saw that she had made plenty enough even for him to eat. They both took their seats and began to eat.

'By the way, I was interested,' Barry broke the silence and continued their conversation from earlier. 'I realised that I wanted you after I ran away, and I would have asked you out if you hadn't asked me first. I'm just lucky that you followed me into the forest.'

'You were worth chasing after,' Oliver smiled. 'Even if I never stood a chance at catching you.'

'Well, I have been told that I'm fast,' Barry grinned and looked at Oliver seriously. 

Oliver laughed and smiled at Barry fondly. 'I think that we've established that, Barry.'

Barry smiled. 'I'd already decided to come back, before I was attacked by Zoom. You wouldn't have needed to work hard to catch me. I like you, Ollie and I wanted to see if I had a chance at becoming more than friends.'

'I like you too, Barry,' Oliver replied and reached across the table to capture Barry's hand in his own.

Barry squeezed Oliver's hand gently and looked down at their joined fingers. He frowned curiously. 'What happened to your hand? It doesn't look as bad as it did yesterday.'

Oliver sighed. 'It's strange, but I feel much better when I'm around you. My hand has been looking better since yesterday.'

'That's interesting,' Barry mused and looked up in thought. 'Do you think it's my potions?'

'I...no,' Oliver admitted and shook his head. 'The improvements have been a lot more noticeable since the last dose wore off this morning.'

'Ah, I wonder what's causing it then?' Barry frowned and looked at Oliver carefully. 'There's something that you're not telling me, isn't there?'

'It's just a theory,' Oliver said and squeezed Barry's hand. He took a deep breath and forced himself to meet Barry's eyes. 'I've developed feelings for you, and ever since I admitted that to myself, I've been feeling stronger when I'm around you and my hand has been improving. This will probably sound crazy, and I know that it's fast, but I'm in love with you.' 

'Wow...' Barry replied and smiled, stunned. He closed his eyes and swallowed heavily. 'I don't know what to say.'

'You don't have to say it back,' Oliver reassured him and rotated their hands so that they were pressed palm to palm. 'Just enjoy tonight.'

Barry nodded slowly. 'I like you a lot Oliver, I really do,' Barry insisted and rubbed his thumb gently over Oliver's upturned palm. 'It's just too soon for me to say if it's love yet.'

'I understand,' Oliver replied and smiled gently. 

Barry finished his meal and rested his chin on his elbows as he waited for Oliver to catch up. 

When Oliver was done eating, they stood and Oliver approached Barry cautiously. 'Do you want to dance with me?'

Barry laughed awkwardly and looked down. 'I can't dance, Oliver, I'm terrible on my feet and I'd probably end up hurting you.' Barry looked up and saw a look of disappointment cross Oliver's face. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Oliver's waist. 'I'm not rejecting you, Ollie, I would love the opportunity to be close to you, I just don't dance.' 

Oliver smiled and Barry could feel Oliver's body relax against his own. 'What do you suggest then?' Oliver asked. 

Barry looked thoughtful for a moment and then suddenly Oliver's arms were empty. Barry returned less than a few seconds later with Oliver's bow and arrows in hand. He handed them over to Oliver and used his speed to clear all the furniture to the edges of the room.

'You're stronger when you're around me, right? So let's spar. It will be fun,' Barry insisted with a gleam in his eyes. He tossed Oliver a strength potion. 'Use that if you want.'

'All right,' Oliver laughed and downed the potion. 'I can't deny that I've wanted to know who would win between us.' 

Barry sped to the other end of the room and removed his tie. 'Ready?' Barry asked and threw his tie to one side. 

Oliver removed his own tie and nodded when he felt his strength increase. 'Come at me Barry.'

Barry's eyes crackled with electricity and he sped towards Oliver. Oliver let loose a couple of arrows, which Barry dodged easily. Oliver held his ground until the last moment and when Barry was nearly upon him he threw himself to one side. Barry skidded to a stop and turned just in time to catch two arrows, which Oliver had fired at him in quick succession. Barry prepared himself to run again and shot forward towards Oliver. He managed to land a few punches on Oliver, but Oliver surprised him and dodged and ducked around a few more. Barry ran to the other side of the room and hurtled around back towards Oliver. Oliver held his ground and when Barry reached out to punch him again, Oliver caught the punch and used Barry's own momentum to launch him away. 

Barry stumbled but he grinned when he regained his footing and turned back towards Oliver. 'Nice,' Barry offered.

'Thanks,' Oliver smiled and shot an arrow behind Barry just as the speedster's eyes began to crackle with lightning. 

'You missed,' Barry frowned and paused, but in the next instant his eyes widened and he was blown off his feet. Barry winced and looked at the carnage behind him where Oliver's arrow had struck some of the furniture. 'Exploding arrows, really? Tell me again why I can't throw lightning?'

Oliver laughed and shot another arrow towards the prone speedster. The arrow deployed a net trap and it pinned Barry to the floor tightly. Barry struggled against the net that had trapped him and wriggled helplessly for a few moments as Oliver advanced towards him. '1-0,' Oliver smiled.

Oliver's smile faded when Barry began to vibrate and he watched in wonder as the speedster managed to dislodge the hooks which pinned the net to the floor. 'OK, those are cool and all, but I don't think so,' Barry smirked and sped away to stand in front of the open balcony door.

Oliver saw an opportunity and went for it. He shot an arrow into the ceiling and launched himself towards Barry. Barry was taken by surprise when Oliver released himself from his arrow and they tumbled together through the door and out onto the balcony.

'Ow,' Barry complained and clutched at his head where it had hit the floor.

'Are you all right?' Oliver asked and got to his feet. He offered Barry a hand up.

Barry grasped Oliver's hand and Oliver helped him up. 'Yeah, I'm fine,' Barry smiled, and he moved towards Oliver to hold his hands. Oliver moved closer and they began to sway together gently. 'Shall we call it a draw?'

Oliver scoffed. 'I think that I won, Barry,' 

'Hey, I've still got plenty left in me,' Barry protested and glanced into the dining room. 'This just seemed like a good place to stop, before we break anything else.'

Oliver frowned as he glanced into the dining room. Two of the tables lay on their sides and some of the chair legs had been blown off when his exploding arrow had detonated. 'I think that we need a better place to spar.'

Barry smiled and nodded. He placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder to stop their swaying and turned to lead him towards the wall which bordered the balcony. Barry sat and motioned for Oliver to join him. He shuffled closer and slipped an arm around Oliver's waist. 

Barry leaned forward and looked into Oliver's eyes briefly before he sealed his lips gently over Oliver's. 'Ah, um...' Barry pulled back hesitantly. 'I'm sorry, I don't want to give you the wrong impression now that I know how you feel.'

'Barry, it's fine,' Oliver insisted. 'You don't need to be in love with me to kiss me.'

Barry nodded and Oliver could see from his smile that he was relieved. Oliver swung his leg over the wall and straddled it so that he was facing Barry. 

'Good. So, will you kiss me?' Barry asked and looked at Oliver with longing in his eyes.

Oliver smiled and cupped Barry's cheek gently. He thought of Barry's smile, his strong, carefree attitude, his hidden strength. He could not resist a request like that from the younger man.

Barry shifted and mirrored Oliver's position so that he faced him on the wall. Oliver reached out with his left hand and let it sit comfortably on Barry's slim waist. He licked his lips in anticipation as the younger man shuffled closer, and Oliver moved forward and pressed his lips carefully against Barry's. 

Oliver felt a spark of heat travel down his spine and he moved his right hand to rest on the back of Barry's neck. He allowed his fingers to tangle in the young man's hair and was pleased when Barry let out a low groan and opened his mouth. Barry's arms came to rest around Oliver's neck and his tongue darted out to tease at Oliver's bottom lip. Oliver opened his mouth and allowed Barry to slide his tongue inside. Oh, that was good. He felt Barry begin to vibrate under his hands and he groaned as their tongues met. 

Oliver savoured the sensation and slowly took control of the kiss. His mouth met Barry's eagerly and he pushed his tongue into Barry's mouth to explore it thoroughly. Barry moaned and Oliver could feel his hold tighten. Oliver retreated and their tongues met again, tangling slowly. He placed a few quick kisses to Barry's lips as he moved away from the younger man and they caught their breath. Barry leaned his head forward to rest it against Oliver's forehead and he slipped his hands down from Oliver's hair to rest on Oliver's shoulders. He sighed happily and closed his eyes as Oliver absent-mindedly moved his hand from Barry's neck to stroke his cheek affectionately. 

'Wow...' Barry let out a breath of air and dropped his head to Oliver's shoulder. 

'Yeah...' Oliver huffed out and smiled sadly when Barry dropped his head to Oliver's shoulder and nuzzled at his neck. From that angle, Barry would not be able to see the tears of desperation which threatened to spill from Oliver's eyes. It was a terrifying thought that he might not have long left to experience this dizzying intimacy with Barry. Oliver sighed gently and held Barry closer. He would just have to make the most of the time that they had left and hope that Barry learned to love him in return in time to break the curse.

Barry pulled back from the embrace and kissed Oliver tenderly. He pulled his other leg over the edge of the wall and Oliver joined him. They sat side by side on the wall with their legs dangling over the edge as they stared out across the forest. Oliver placed an arm around Barry's waist and he felt Barry lean his head against his shoulder.

'Barry, are you happy here?' Oliver asked softly.

'I think that I'm happier than I've ever been,' Barry replied easily, but Oliver felt Barry tense beside him and felt Barry's breath on his arm when he exhaled heavily.

'I feel like there's a but...' Oliver said gently.

'Yeah,' Barry sighed. If he looked hard enough he thought that he could make out the lights of Central city in the distance. 'I just wish that I could relax completely. Tonight has been amazing, but I'm still worried about Central city. Sorry.'

'Don't be,' Oliver insisted. 'It's your city, your home. Come on.'

Oliver swung his legs back over the wall and held out his hand.

'Where are we going?' Barry asked, but he took Oliver's hand anyway. At this point he would probably follow Oliver anywhere.

'We have access to more than a few CCTV cameras via the computers in the basement,' Oliver explained as he helped Barry to his feet and they left the balcony together. 'Felicity should be able to help us check on Central city.'

Barry's lip trembled and he smiled gratefully at Oliver. 'Thank you. This means a lot.'

'Of course. Anything for you,' Oliver replied honestly. Barry felt his heart beat faster as he followed Oliver down into the basement and smiled when he realised that Oliver had not let go of his hand.

 

–

 

When they reached the basement, Oliver was not surprised to see that Felicity was still up. She was snuggled up in her pyjamas with a tub of Ben and Jerry's and a romantic comedy that Oliver did not recognise on in the background. 

Felicity turned towards them as they entered and she glared at Oliver and looked like she was about to scold him before her gaze dropped to their joined hands.

'Oliver, what is it?' Felicity asked curiously as Oliver and Barry approached the computers. 

'Can you show us Central city, Felicity?' Oliver asked and Felicity nodded and quickly turned to her computer to pause her film and flick onto another program.

'Sure, why?' Felicity looked at Barry as the computer loaded up a few CCTV feeds.

'I'm worried that Zoom, the speedster that attacked me, has his sites set on Central city,' Barry sighed and Oliver slipped an arm around his shoulder's. Barry smiled at Oliver briefly and leaned slightly into Oliver's side. 'My friends and family are there. If Zoom is attacking, we need to do something about it.'

Felicity nodded and her eyes widened as she looked back to her screen. 'Oh god...'

Oliver felt Barry tense beside him and vibrate with suppressed speed, as if he wanted to run straight to Central. The other speedster, Zoom, was in Central city, and there was no telling how many people he had already hurt. He was in control of the media and had caused chaos in the streets. 

'I have to go back and stop him!' Barry protested and turned to the stairs.

'He broke your back and left you for dead!' Felicity exclaimed. 'You've only just recovered.'

'I have to try,' Barry insisted hotly and folded his arms across his chest. 'You can't stop me.'

'Then I'm coming with you,' Oliver said and took Barry's hands in his own.

'Are you sure?' Barry asked as his eyes searched Oliver's carefully for any hint of doubt.

Oliver nodded. 'I promised you that I would do whatever it takes to stop him if he attacked Central. I won't break that promise.'

'Oliver, no!' Felicity protested and stood to wave her arms towards Oliver. 'What about the curse?'

'I've taken one of Barry's potions this evening, Felicity, and I'm stronger when I'm near him.' Oliver turned to Barry, cupped his cheek and kissed his lips gently. 'I won't let you do this alone.' 

'Thanks,' Barry smiled and Oliver saw him sigh with relief. 'Be careful, and if it gets too bad, run, leave me.'

'We're not leaving each other Barry,' Oliver smiled and squeezed Barry's hand. 'We are in this together, whatever happens.' 

'OK,' Barry nodded and smiled gratefully. 'Thanks, Ollie. We're going to Star Labs first. Cisco said that he had a spare suit for me.'

'Right,' Oliver agreed and turned to Felicity. 'Can you be my eyes and ears?'

'Of course,' Felicity replied and bit her bottom lip. 'Just like old times, right? Just be careful. Both of you.'

Oliver nodded and headed to grab his suit. In no time at all he and Barry were out of the mansion and on the road towards Central city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we have it, chapter 4!  
> I think that I severely underestimated how long this would take to finish :)  
> I hope that chapter 5 will be done by Sunday, I'm also not sure yet if there will be 1 or 2 more chapters, so we will see how it goes!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Oliver take on Zoom in Central city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your fantastic comments and kudos, I am glad that you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it :) 
> 
> I deliberated for a long time on this, but I've decided to break this chapter into two as well, since it was getting too long for one chapter and I was trying to stick to around 10000 words per chapter.  
> I had a 4 chapter plan originally, but everything I write seems to take this further away from that.  
> Posting this a day later than intended, but have taken my laptop to work to enable me to update :)

Star Labs, Central city

 

Barry ran parallel to Oliver's bike the entire way back to Central city. With the wind rushing past them as they sped through the night, there was not any opportunity for conversation and so Barry was left with plenty of time to think.

 

Zoom was a powerful opponent and Barry remembered his horrified realisation, when they had been fighting earlier, that the man was faster than him.

 

 

Flashback:

 

Barry's eyes crackled as he sped towards the man in blue, intent on delivering a speedy punch to the man's face. His eyes widened when the man zipped to the side and laughed. Barry flicked his gaze over to the man and made another dash towards him. He let loose another punch but before it could connect the man was gone again. Barry frowned and looked around him.

 

'Too slow, Flash,' Zoom grinned from behind Barry. He raised his hand in a mocking gesture and taunted Barry. 'Come at me again.'

 

Barry shook in disbelief. This man was fast, faster than him, faster than the man in yellow had been. Barry felt fear creep through him and he began to shake slightly. He had only beaten the man in yellow by chance, how could he stand up to someone faster, stronger? Barry shook his head and dashed off into the woods. He couldn't think like that now. Oliver would tell him to think of a strategy and use it. His first punches had been anticipated, and Zoom could see which direction he had been coming from. Barry paused a good distance away and braced himself. He needed the advantage, and that advantage would be surprise. He would use the trees for cover and come at the man from behind before he had a chance to react. Barry felt the Speed Force coursing through him and pushed himself to accelerate to the optimum speed.

 

Barry ran. His thighs began to chafe together and he dearly began to miss his friction proof suit. Barry shook his head and closed his eyes. He had to push himself, had to do this. If he didn't, then he was done for, and he would never get to see Oliver again. Oliver...

 

Barry opened his eyes and let loose a supersonic punch. Perfect, this time the man was unsuspecting. Barry grinned. His approach from behind had worked.

 

Just as the punch was about to connect, the man moved and Barry fell to the ground. His arm made a sickening cracking sound on impact and Barry yelled out in agony. Barry gritted his teeth and winced as he got to his feet. He held his arm to his side and watched as the man became a blur. No. He couldn't let this happen, he could not let this be the end. He would not die here.

 

Barry pushed past the pain in his arm and began to move towards Zoom again. He threw a few punches towards the blur but cursed when he heard the man laugh manically as he stopped Barry's every move with a grace that Barry envied.

 

Barry faltered when the man dodged again and turned to hit out angrily towards Zoom. Zoom took advantage of his emotional state and grabbed Barry's fist as it advanced towards his face.

 

'I'm done playing with you, Flash,' Zoom growled and let loose a quick flurry of punches at an accelerated rate.

 

Barry drew his arm up to try and defend himself, but it was no use. The impact with the ground had caused a lot of pain and had likely broken his arm. Barry's reactions were slower than the punches aimed at him and Zoom was too fast. Every punch that connected with his arm hurt just as much as the punches which pounded relentlessly on his chest. Barry's eyes widened in horror as Zoom grabbed his flagging body and ran up a thick tree trunk.

 

'No...stop,' Barry whispered as Zoom stopped near the top and held him precariously over the edge.

 

'Time to die, Flash,' Zoom growled. 'This ends now.'

 

Zoom began to vibrate his arm at a great speed. Quicker than Barry could blink, Zoom drew his arm back and threw Barry hard towards the ground. Barry felt the air rush past him as he fell quickly towards the ground. He twisted wildly to try and push off the tree, speed away, anything but land on the hard ground below. His efforts were in vain. He was going to hit the ground, hard. Barry sucked in a deep breath and tensed every muscle in his body in an attempt to brace for the inevitable impact.

 

Barry hit the ground hard and let out an ear piercing scream that left his ears ringing as his back connected with the ground. On impact his back had made an audible cracking sound and Barry groaned and tried to sit up. He felt a wave of vulnerability hit him when he was unable to move. Barry felt his back twinge and his spine tingled as he tried to roll over onto his side. Unable to manage even that, Barry looked up at the man above him in the tree and felt a shudder run through him. He was helpless. At any moment Zoom would deliver the killing blow and his life would be over. He had to move. He had to. Barry felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes as he thought of his loved ones back in Central city.

 

He had told Caitlyn and Cisco that he would be fine. He had told Joe that he was safe. He had told Iris that he would be her maid of honour. Barry felt a wave of nausea overwhelm him and he swallowed against it quickly. None of them would know what had happened to him. He would rot here in the forest and no one would ever know. Even Oliver thought that he had gone back home and had no reason to come looking for him.

 

Time seemed to stand still and Barry wondered what Zoom was waiting for. He let his eyes slip closed and turned his head away, unable to face what was coming. Suddenly, a rustling from the bushes nearby drew Barry's attention and he struggled to turn his head to look.

 

A pair of gleaming eyes appeared through the undergrowth. Wolves. Barry whimpered and tried to force his body to move. Agony tore through his back and he felt helpless as he struggled against the numbness that crept through his body.

 

Barry groaned as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Zoom. Zoom advanced towards him and grinned manically as he took in Barry's state, his situation.

 

'This is goodbye, Flash,' Zoom nodded towards the wolves and in the blink of an eye he dashed away from Barry and into the woods.

 

Barry felt his body begin to vibrate with suppressed speed. He felt a strong need to run, to get away, now, fast. The vibrations shook his entire body and Barry groaned at the pain that the tremors caused him, especially in his spine. He winced and rolled his head carefully to look around as a howl sounded to his left. More wolves had joined the first few. He was surrounded and Zoom had broken him completely. There was no way out. Barry felt his limbs become heavy with exhaustion and the adrenaline from the fight with Zoom began to fade. His eyelids felt heavy and he struggled to keep his eyes open. Barry began to shake and this time it was not just his failing super speed that caused the tremors. His shoulder's shook with emotion and his heart clenched in fear. This was it. He couldn't afford to pass out, but the battle for consciousness was a battle that he was rapidly losing. The last thing that Barry remembered was drifting in and out of awareness as the wolves got closer and closer.

 

 

End Flashback.

 

 

Zoom could have killed him. Maybe he thought that he had, after all, Barry himself had been convinced that he was done for. He was lucky that Oliver had followed him into the woods or it would be unlikely that he would be here right now.

 

Barry exhaled heavily as they came to a stop outside Star Labs. His fight with Zoom had been a whitewash, a disaster. Barry did not want a repeat of that and hoped that with Oliver's help the rematch would go very differently. Oliver was an experienced fighter and a master tactician. If they combined that with his own speed, hopefully they would be a near unstoppable force, and this time it would be Zoom on the ropes instead of Barry.

 

'Ready?' Barry asked as Oliver dismounted his bike.

 

Oliver nodded. 'Lead the way.'

 

Barry led Oliver through the main doors and together they walked into the cortex of Star labs.

 

'Cisco, Caitlyn,' Barry exclaimed with wide eyes. 'What are you doing here so late?'

 

'Barry!' Caitlyn yelled and rushed towards him to embrace him tightly. 'Are you OK?'

 

'I'm fine,' Barry replied and nodded at Cisco.

 

Caitlyn looked him over sceptically with a raised eyebrow. 'Are you sure?'

 

'Really, I am,' Barry insisted. 'Where's the spare suit?'

 

'My lab. All ready to go,' Cisco replied. 'Don't ruin this one!'

 

Barry was there and back in a flash, cowl down but otherwise suited up and ready to go.

 

'I haven't had the chance to make another emblem yet,' Cisco complained and he shrugged when Barry gave him a look. 'What? We've been busy.'

 

Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out the emblem. He coughed to get their attention and tossed it to Barry. Barry caught it and attached it to the suit with a grateful smile towards Oliver.

 

'Whose tall, dark and mysterious?' Cisco asked as his eyes flicked over to the doorway and he noticed Oliver. He frowned. 'Hey, you look familiar, do I know you?'

 

'This is the Arrow, Starling city's hero. He's going to help me fight Zoom,' Barry explained and turned to Oliver. 'This is Team Flash headquarters. Cisco makes cool gadgets, and Caitlyn is my personal physician.'

 

'He gets hurt, a lot,' Caitlyn smiled fondly towards Barry.

 

'I know that he's the Arrow, but that's not why he looks familiar.' Cisco muttered, and turned away to think with one arm across his chest and his other hand at his mouth.

 

'It doesn't matter who he is, Cisco, we need all the help that we can get!' Caitlyn protested and turned to Barry and Oliver. 'So you heard about Zoom? Ronnie and Professor Stein couldn't fight him Barry, they've had to go into hiding whilst they recover.'

 

Barry nodded. 'That's why I brought help. Zoom already broke my back once, I can't beat him alone.'

 

'Ouch,' Caitlyn winced. 'Do you have any idea why he targeted you?'

 

'He tells you that he had his back broken and all you can say is ouch?' Oliver interrupted.

 

'Barry heals,' Caitlyn shrugged casually, as if Barry being injured was a regular thing for them.

 

'When this is done, you and I are doing more training,' Oliver growled towards Barry and folded his arms across his chest.

 

'If it ends in the same way as our last sparring session, you have no complaints from me,' Barry grinned and he could see Oliver smile under the hood.

 

'Guys, focus?' Caitlyn insisted sharply with a hand on her hip.

 

'Sorry, Caitlyn,' Barry smiled sheepishly and reached a hand up to ruffle his hair. 'I think that Zoom attacked me to get me out of the picture, so that he could take over Central city.'

 

Caitlyn nodded and nudged Cisco.

 

'Right...you know that we had been working on a serum to stop the man in yellow? We finished it,' Cisco smiled easily. 'We hope that it can help you stop Zoom in his tracks.'

 

'Good. That's good,' Barry nodded. He turned to Oliver. 'Can you put this in one of your arrows?'

 

Oliver took the serum and nodded. 'I'll make up a few now, whilst we talk strategy.'

 

Oliver found a clear workbench and set his quiver down. Barry pulled himself up to sit on the bench beside where Oliver was working.

 

'All right, but it's my city...' Barry insisted with a small smile towards Oliver.

Oliver laughed incredulously. 'I know, Barry. What you say goes.'

 

Cisco turned to watch them and frowned. The way that the man held himself, the hood. It was definitely familiar. If only he could put his finger on it. Oh. Oh!

 

'Oh my god!' Cisco exclaimed and pointed a finger towards Oliver. His lip trembled and his eyes widened. 'You're him! The beast from the mansion.'

 

Oliver sighed and nodded as he turned back to them. He pushed back his hood and Cisco gasped, but looked on with an odd fascination as he took in the scars. 'Dude, what happened to your face?'

 

'Cisco, be nice, and you have to stop calling him that,' Caitlyn sympathised and rolled her eyes. She turned to Oliver with a small smile. 'Oliver Queen, right?'

 

'Yes,' Oliver replied cautiously.

 

'Thank you for letting Barry come back here and for agreeing to help us, it means a lot,' Caitlyn offered and held out her hand for Oliver to shake. Oliver shook it gently and nodded.

 

'Guys, I haven't been a prisoner since that first night,' Barry insisted. He smiled at Oliver. 'I healed in no time, but I wanted to stay a bit longer. It's not every day that you end up sharing a house with a fellow hero, right?'

 

'Ha! See, I told you so!' Cisco exclaimed with a flourish.

 

'You said that Barry had stayed because he had found his true love!' Caitlyn grinned.

 

'Well I was half right!' Cisco insisted and looked at Barry with a raised eyebrow. 'You did say that you stayed because you wanted to, right Barry?'

 

Barry nodded and looked away towards Oliver. His cheeks flushed and he smiled brightly towards his new boyfriend.

 

'Then I should still get some credit for not panicking like the rest of you!' Cisco protested. 'I knew that you'd be fine dude.'

 

'Thanks man,' Barry replied and smiled gently towards Caitlyn. 'Really, Caitlyn, there was no need to worry so much, you know that I can take care of myself.'

 

'You got your back broken!' Caitlyn huffed in protest. 'That's not taking care of yourself!'

 

Oliver coughed gently and crossed his arms to stare at them all. 'Shall we just work on a plan? Zoom is still out there.'

 

'I'm sorry. I'll be more careful.' Barry smiled sheepishly at Caitlyn. He turned and addressed the group. 'So what first?'

 

'Well, no offence, but I still don't see how he's going to help us,' Cisco complained and gestured towards Oliver. 'Zoom has superpowers, all you have is a bow and arrow.'

 

'We set a trap,' Oliver smirked and he turned to Barry. 'Where is the best, open, location to end this, where no civilians are likely to get hurt?'

 

Barry moved to the nearest computer and quickly brought up a map of Central city. His eyes scanned the map carefully for a moment and then he pointed to a spot on the map. 'This airfield isn't used any more, it would be the perfect spot to set a trap.'

 

'Right. Can you make a freezing trap?' Oliver directed towards Cisco.

 

'Please, you are looking at the master,' Cisco smiled confidently. 'Give me an hour.'

 

'Good. In the meantime, Barry, you and I need to set up a few traps of our own, just in case our first attempt fails. You'll need to lead Zoom in range so that I can distract him long enough for the traps to shoot him with the serum. I hope that he will be expecting me to shoot at him, and catch that arrow, but, exactly as you did when we fought, not anticipate the shot from behind.'

 

'Right,' Barry nodded and forced a smile. 'I just hope that this works.'

 

'If not, we do this the hard way. Don't hold back,' Oliver insisted and looked at Barry steadily. 'Between the two of us we should have the upper hand.'

 

Barry nodded and took a deep breath. 'Ok. You're right. Let's get to work.'

 

Barry walked over to Cisco and they spent the next hour preparing arrows and traps. Between the four of them, it did not take them long to ready themselves for the confrontation.

 

When everything was packed in a couple of backpacks and Barry and Oliver were ready to leave, Caitlyn approached Barry and held him closely. 'I'm glad that you came back to us safely Barry. Please, be careful. This man is a monster.'

 

'I know,' Barry replied. He nodded and forced a smile as he stepped back. 'We'll be fine. Ready to go, Ollie?'

 

Oliver nodded once and together they headed out of Star labs and towards the airfield.

 

 

–

 

 

Barry and Oliver had spent the last half an hour setting up traps and scoping out the area in preparation for their fight.

 

'So, the traps will activate automatically if Zoom runs over them?' Oliver asked Barry sceptically as they stood side by side on the airfield.

 

'Yup, for the freezing traps anyway,' Barry nodded. 'The arrow traps have pressure plates.'

 

'You remember where every trap is, right?' Oliver scanned the area carefully but he could not spot any traps from here.

 

'Of course!' Barry smiled confidently. 'It wouldn't do for me to run over any myself!'

 

'Barry,' Cisco's voice came over his communicator.

 

'Cisco. Do you have a cell in the pipeline ready?' Barry asked as he kept his eyes on the airfield. He noticed that Oliver was also on guard beside him: his gaze continued to sweep discreetly across the area, on the lookout for any threats.

 

'Yeah man, it's ready,' Cisco confirmed.

 

'Good, and you're sure that it will be strong enough to hold Zoom?' Barry challenged as he began to pace back and forth, full of nervous energy.

 

'Yeah, it will be. We haven't had any problems with containing other meta-humans, but I've increased the strength of the forcefield just in case,' Cisco reassured him. 'We're ready when you are.'

 

Barry nodded and stopped beside Oliver. 'I'll keep this line open, just in case I need anything else. Keep me updated if you spot anything that could cause a problem.'

 

'Of course,' Caitlyn replied. 'The serum should incapacitate Zoom immediately, if his metabolism is anything like yours. He should be powerless long enough for you to get him back here.'

 

'Thanks Caitlyn. Do you have any news on Zoom?' Barry asked and began to rock back and forth on his heels. Oliver sighed at Barry's fidgeting and placed a hand on his shoulder to still him.

 

'Zoom has been spotted near your branch of CCPD, I think that he's planning to get rid of the police force,' Cisco explained. 'Just try and distract him and lure him away, just like the plan.'

 

'Right,' Barry nodded slowly. 'Easy.'

 

'See you soon, Barry,' Caitlyn added. 'And please be careful.'

 

'I'll be fine guys, it will be over in no time,' Barry replied and forced himself to sound light and relaxed. There was no point in letting them know just how worried he was. Barry turned off his communication device and looked at Oliver.

 

'You all right?' Oliver asked and steadied Barry's arm, which had begun to shake.

 

Barry took a deep breath and turned to face Oliver fully. 'Yeah, just a little worried. The last time I faced Zoom you saw what he did to me.'

 

'Barry, look at me,' Oliver commanded and he cupped Barry's cheek. Barry stepped forward to close the distance between them and slipped his arms around Oliver's waist as he looked up at him. 'You will be fine. We have a plan and I promise that I will not let him hurt you again.'

 

Barry looked into Oliver's eyes and saw not a bit of hesitation. Oliver was determined that this plan would work.

 

'Ok. You're right. Thank you.' Barry looked up at Oliver appreciatively. 'Ready to go?'

 

Oliver nodded. 'There's just one thing that I want to do first.'

 

Oliver closed the remaining distance between them and pressed his lips to Barry's. He felt Barry sigh gently and push his lips back against Oliver's. Oliver pulled back to lean his forehead against Barry's. 'Please be careful.'

 

'I'll be fine, don't worry,' Barry replied with a mischievous smile and stole another quick kiss. 'I'll see you in a Flash.'

 

Oliver watched as Barry pulled up his cowl, turned his communication device back on and moved quickly away into the distance.

 

Oliver remained vigilant and pulled up his hood. 'Are you there, Felicity?'

 

'Of course I am!' Felicity exclaimed. 'Were you two kissing just now?'

 

'Yes,' Oliver sighed heavily and continued in a tone that suggested that it was not up for discussion. 'I need you to let me know if any other players show up and let me know as soon as Barry gets close to my location,' Oliver instructed. 'If you see anything out of the ordinary at all, let me know. We can't afford for this to go wrong, Felicity.'

 

'Oh, that is so sweet!' Felicity gushed, but her tone turned businesslike when Oliver sighed again. 'Right. Good luck, Oliver. Please don't die.'

 

'Not today,' Oliver insisted and kept his gaze alert as he monitored the area.

 

'Did you tell him how you feel?' Felicity asked curiously. 'You seemed pretty close on the balcony.'

 

'I did,' Oliver replied and busied himself with fine tuning his bow.

 

'Well? What did he say?' Felicity demanded.

 

'He likes me, but he wasn't sure if it was love yet,' Oliver answered and chose a spot on the wall to lean against as he waited. He remembered the feel of Barry's lips pressed against his own and smiled softly. He hoped that Barry would be OK.

 

'That's good,' Felicity paused and Oliver could hear her typing on her keyboard. 'At least it wasn't a no. There's still time you know,' Felicity insisted.

 

'I know,' Oliver sighed and looked down. He leaned against the main hanger wall and settled in to wait.

 

 

\--

 

 

Barry dashed through the streets of Central city and was at CCPD in less than 30 seconds. The police force were holding guns and standing their ground in front of the building and Barry scanned the crowd quickly. Joe was among them, and Barry felt his heart race faster as Zoom advanced towards them. The police opened fire, but the man was too fast. Barry looked on in horror as Zoom caught every single bullet and dropped them to the ground in front of him.

 

'Nice try,' Zoom growled, and Barry could see blue lightning crackling around him as he prepared to move.

 

Barry acted quickly and moved to stand in front of the police officers.

 

'You want them? You'll have to get through me first,' Barry yelled, and Zoom turned his attention to him with disgust.

 

'Flash, I thought that I had killed you in the forest,' Zoom growled. 'No matter, I will end you permanently now and then no one will stand in my way.'

 

'You'll have to catch me first!' Barry taunted, and saw Joe shake his head frantically out of the corner of his eye. Barry shot what he hoped was a reassuring look Joe's way and then took off through the streets and towards the airfield. A quick glance behind him confirmed that Zoom had followed him and was gaining fast. Barry felt his heart begin to race faster. He hoped that Zoom would not catch up to him before he even reached the airfield, and pushed himself to run faster than he had ever run before. He had to get to Ollie.

 

 

\--

 

 

'Damn...' Joe sighed and ran a hand over his face. He made sure that he was out of earshot of his colleagues and pulled his phone from his pocket to dial Cisco's number.

 

'Joe, what's up?' Cisco asked.

 

'Did you know that Barry is back? He just engaged the most dangerous man that I have ever seen,' Joe exclaimed and tried to keep his voice down.

 

'Yeah, we knew. It's cool though. Barry has a plan to stop him. He's going to lure Zoom to the old airfield and we're going to use the serum that me and Caitlyn developed to stop him in his tracks,' Cisco explained.

 

'Do you need me to send backup?' Joe asked and Cisco saw Caitlyn frantically shake her head out of the corner of his eye.

 

'Oliver is wanted by the police,' Caitlyn hissed. 'Best to keep them away.'

 

Cisco nodded.

 

'Nah, it's cool. Barry wanted to engage Zoom in an area where no one was likely to get hurt. If you show up you could end up jeopardising the plan,' Cisco covered easily.

 

Joe frowned. 'All right. See you later.'

 

'Later man,' Cisco ended the call.

 

Joe hung up with a sigh. He was not happy with the idea of leaving Barry to face Zoom alone. He would take his partner and scope out the area to offer support if Barry needed it, covertly and from the shadows, so that neither Barry nor Zoom would notice them.

 

 

\--

 

 

Oliver waited with trepidation. It was hard to stop his thoughts when they drifted again towards the curse which hung over his head. He looked down at his bow hand. Although it had improved in appearance, it was still a grim reminder of just how close he was to his 30th birthday. It was also a reminder of how much he loved Barry and proof that love could reverse the effects of the curse, even if it were one sided on his part. Once this was over, Oliver vowed to spend as much time with Barry as the man would allow, in the hope that the younger man returned his feelings in time.

 

Oliver looked away to the side and his shoulder's rose and fell heavily. It wasn't the preferred option, but if Barry didn't love him back in time, it was OK. Oliver thought of Barry and the way he constantly fidgeted when he was nervous, of his cheeky attitude and the twinkle in his eyes when he was being mischievous. He was glad to have met Barry and he would make the most of their remaining time together. He just had to come to terms with the fact that his days may be well and truly numbered now, and try to find some peace, some closure, with the fact that he could die in less than two days. The thought sent a chill down his spine and Oliver shuddered. He could feel his eyes well up and he wiped at them hastily. He did not want to leave this world behind, leave Barry behind, when they had barely begun their relationship.

 

'Barry's on route to your location and moving fast,' Felicity's voice interrupted Oliver's silent musing.

 

Oliver pulled away from the wall to stand straight, immediately alert. This was not the time to lose focus, Barry needed him.

 

 

–-

 

 

Barry sighed in relief as he sped into the airfield and straight towards where he knew Oliver would be waiting.

 

As soon as they were in range, Oliver let loose an arrow and Barry veered off to the side. Zoom caught the arrow easily and smirked. 'Nice try, Flash.'

 

Suddenly an arrow embedded in Zoom's back and the man howled in agony. It was over. Any minute now the serum would kick in and Zoom would be their prisoner. Barry frowned. Zoom was still standing though and he appeared unaffected.

 

'Nothings happening,' Barry muttered as he watched the other speedster reach around and yank the arrow out of his back. Barry watched in horror as Zoom shook with barely suppressed rage and rushed towards Oliver to grab him by the throat.

 

'Ollie!' Barry rushed to Oliver's side and twisted Zoom's wrist. Zoom let go and Oliver fell to the floor and gasped for air. Barry winced as Zoom let loose some high speed punches towards his torso, and he tried to return the punches with some of his own. This was no good, he would have to run and think of a new plan. Barry ran and Zoom gave chase across the airfield.

 

'Cisco, the serum didn't work!' Barry yelled into his communicator as he ran frantically away from Zoom and towards the hangers. He needed to find somewhere to regroup. 'What do I do?'

 

'Maybe the dose wasn't large enough, can you hit him again?' Cisco mused and looked at his notes.

'He's more well built than you and the man in yellow, perhaps we miscalculated.'

 

'Great, it was hard enough to catch him by surprise the first time!' Barry complained.

 

'Hey, we were pressed for time, Barry,' Cisco defended and looked at his monitor.

 

Caitlyn keyed in a few details on the computer beside him. 'I ran some quick calculations and if you hit him again, he should definitely go down. The serum has slowed him down a little, so hopefully that will help.'

 

'Right, I'll try,' Barry frowned and realised that he had gotten away from Zoom. Caitlyn was right, the serum had slowed Zoom down. Barry just had to hope that the man would not notice and attempt to shake off the drug. He hid behind one of the empty hangers and thought back to where he had set the other traps containing the serum.

 

'You have to do it quickly, Barry,' Caitlyn urged. 'We only expected the dosage to last long enough to get him locked away into the pipeline.'

 

'How long do I have?' Barry asked as he watched Zoom dash past where he was. The man stopped in the distance and looked around. It was only a matter of time before Zoom spotted him.

 

'Ten minutes, give or take,' Caitlyn sighed. 'Sorry. It was the best that we could do.'

 

'I'll manage, don't worry,' Barry insisted and turned to face Zoom.

 

Barry realised that he was close to one of the traps which would freeze a speedster. If he could just draw Zoom over to it, hopefully he could slow him down enough so that he could grab Oliver to make the shot without Zoom catching the arrow. If not, there was another trap containing the serum not far from here. He could lure Zoom over to it and try to get him shot by that.

 

Focused hard on Zoom and his plan, Barry did not see the man that crept up behind him. Barry let out a cry of surprise as he was shoved to the side and into his own trap. He felt the frost creep up his legs and he shivered as his entire body began to freeze.

 

'Chilling, isn't it?' Merlyn grinned as he watched the speedster struggle to move. 'You know, I heard about poor Damien, I didn't think that you had it in you.'

 

At Barry's wide eyed look, Merlyn continued. 'Oh, I know about that. I know everything. I have eyes everywhere. How do you think that I found you so easily? Imagine my surprise when I heard that the Arrow was back in action. Still, no matter. At least one of you will die tonight. The curse will fulfil, and then I will be the only comfort that my daughter has when she realises that she has lost her brother.'

 

Barry shuddered and his tongue felt heavy. He struggled to manage a few words. 'She will hate you...if you kill Oliver. She isn't the only one.'

 

'Oh, you won't have a lot of time to think about that,' Merlyn insisted and whistled to get Zoom's attention. 'Either Zoom kills you, or you watch Oliver die as he tries to save you, and then Zoom kills you. I'm not sure which one I'd prefer.'

 

Zoom appeared and nodded at Merlyn. 'Your loyalty will be rewarded,' Zoom hissed and advanced towards Barry.

 

'Kill him,' Merlyn insisted with a manic grin.

 

Barry renewed his struggle to get away, but it was no use. His teeth chattered and he had nearly lost the feeling in his legs. He muttered urgently into his communicator, 'Guys, help.'

 

'I won't let you hurt him,' Oliver growled and shot an arrow towards Zoom.

 

Zoom caught it easily and laughed. 'Pathetic.'

 

Zoom dashed in front of Oliver and began to hit out at him quickly. It was all that Oliver could do to attempt to defend himself. Barry watched on in horror as Oliver only managed to land a few hits of his own and dodged and ducked Zoom's blows the best that he could.

 

'The vitals in his suit are plummeting,' Barry heard Cisco mutter and he could barely process their voices. Cisco had done a good job with the traps. This felt worse than being hit with the cold gun.

 

'Barry, what happened?' Caitlyn asked bluntly.

 

Barry groaned and managed to get out past another shudder, 'Freezing...'

 

'He's been hit by one of the freezing traps,' Cisco exclaimed. 'Don't worry, I have just the thing.'

 

Barry felt relief flood through him as he began to feel warmer. He watched as Oliver shot an arrow into the wall of the hanger and managed to pull himself away from Zoom for a moment.

 

'It's therma-threading. I installed it in case you ran into Captain Cold again. Is it working?' Cisco asked.

 

Barry took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. He could feel his legs again and his whole body was defrosting. 'Yeah, thanks, Cisco.'

 

Barry watched as Zoom ran up the wall of the hanger and released the arrow that Oliver was using to pull himself away. Oliver fell towards the floor and winced when he hit the ground. Zoom was at Oliver's side in an instant and began to vibrate his hand towards Oliver's chest before Oliver could recover. It was eerily familiar to the way that the man in yellow had often reached out. Barry felt his heart freeze. Zoom was going to kill Oliver and he could not let that happen.

 

Barry ignored his tingling, cold, body and dashed over. He braced himself and tackled Zoom to the floor. They went down in a tangle of limbs but Barry got the upper hand and rushed away.

 

Zoom looked between Oliver and Barry for a moment and seemed torn between who to engage. The archer was clearly a weakness for the Flash, but the Flash was a bigger threat. Barry could see the frown on Zoom's face and feared that he would try to use Oliver against him.

 

'Catch me if you can!' Barry taunted and began to move in the direction of one of the traps which contained the serum. He hoped that the taunt would be enough and that Zoom would follow him.

 

Zoom grinned psychotically, mind made up. He would beat the speedster within an inch of his life and then kill the Arrow in front of him.

 

'Stop running and face me, Flash,' Zoom insisted as he followed Barry a short distance across the airfield.

 

Barry ignored him and ran head on towards the trap that he had set earlier. Once he ran over the pressure plate to activate the trap, he would have very little time to move out of the way. Barry grinned confidently. He could do it. He had been practising with Oliver and could dodge arrows in his sleep.

 

Barry felt his foot connect with the pressure plate and he heard a click as the trap fired an arrow towards him at high speed. It was all a matter of getting the timing perfect. Time seemed to stand still and Barry took a quick look behind him. Zoom was still following him and was gaining fast. Perfect. Barry turned back around towards the arrow which hurtled towards him, and at the last minute he twisted out of the way to roll across the floor.

 

Zoom howled in surprise as the arrow connected with his chest. Barry sped back around to face him and watched with his breath held as Zoom twitched and tried to speed towards him. He sighed and released the breath that he was holding when the man failed and growled angrily at him.

 

'Guys, I got him, I'm bringing him in now,' Barry relayed to his friends as Zoom fell to his knees, his power suppressed for now. In the blink of an eye, Barry grabbed Zoom and sped off in the direction of Star Labs.

 

No one noticed Malcolm Merlyn scowl and pull his phone out to make a call. When the call connected, Merlyn growled into the phone. 'Yes, police. I've spotted the vigilante of Starling city at the old airfield. He is armed and dangerous. Please come quickly.'

 

Merlyn smirked and hung up. If the other speedster could not handle the Flash, with one hand he had no chance himself. He could try and kill Oliver whilst the Flash was gone, but it was unlikely that the speedster would forget about the Arrow and he could be back at any moment. No, hopefully the police would deal with Oliver accordingly. Even if they didn't kill him, they would lock him up and the curse would do the rest. Barry could not fall in love if Oliver was behind bars and unable to see him after all. Merlyn smirked and settled back into the shadows to watch the events unfold.

 

 

\--

 

 

Barry was back in Star labs in no time at all and sped into the pipeline with Zoom in tow. Cisco and Caitlyn approached him just as he finished locking up the cell.

 

'I'm glad that's over,' Cisco exclaimed as he glared at the angry speedster.

 

'Are you OK, Barry?' Caitlyn asked as she looked him over carefully.

 

'Fine,' Barry nodded. 'Just a few scrapes.'

 

'So, what now? Should we interrogate him?' Cisco asked. He walked closer to the cell, but jumped backwards when Zoom pounded against the glass.

 

Barry shook his head and closed the door to block Zoom from view. 'No, keep him locked up and make sure that the cell holds, I have to make sure that Ollie is OK. There was another guy out there.'

 

'Ok Barry, be careful,' Caitlyn insisted with a small smile and Barry nodded.

 

'See you soon,' Cisco murmured as Barry dashed off and together he and Caitlyn walked back to the cortex to keep an eye on Zoom remotely.

 

 

–-

 

 

Oliver was stood with his arms crossed when Barry sped up to him.

 

'That was reckless,' Oliver glanced at Barry and took a deep breath. 'What if you had been hit?'

 

'I've had plenty of practice dodging arrows, Ollie,' Barry grinned with excitement. 'We got him!'

 

Barry held up his hand and nodded at Oliver. Oliver raised an eyebrow at him. Barry inclined his head and smiled. Oliver sighed and indulged him. He slapped his palm against Barry's and moved forward to embrace him.

 

Suddenly, Oliver felt a strong pair of arms grab him from behind and twist his arms behind his back. He tried to turn to see his attacker but stopped still when he saw that Barry had frozen and his eyes were wide with worry.

 

'Joe!' Barry exclaimed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 'What are you doing here? Where's Lance?'

 

'Oh no. No, no, no,' Joe shook his head and nodded at Oliver. 'I'm the one asking the questions, Barry. What is _he_ doing here?'

 

'He helped me defeat Zoom, Joe. Calm down,' Barry protested and held up his hands defensively in front of himself.

 

'He shot a police officer!' Joe exclaimed and shook his head. He continued in a quieter tone, hoping that he could make his son see reason. 'Bear, he's not one of the good guys.'

 

Oliver could see that this would not end well for him. He could not afford to be arrested so close to his birthday, and the man who held him was determined to convince Barry that he was a criminal. Oliver renewed his struggles frantically and managed to break free. He smiled and nodded in Barry's direction in what he hoped was reassurance that they would regroup later. Barry watched as Oliver began to run.

 

'Hey, you're under arrest!' Joe protested, but Oliver had already covered a good amount of ground.

 

Joe watched as other members of the police force swarmed the airfield with sirens blaring. He sighed with relief when he realised that the vigilante would not get far. There were plenty of capable officers here that could apprehend the man.

 

Joe glanced at Barry and saw that his eyes had started to crackle. He reached out and grabbed Barry's arm.

 

'Where do you think you're going?' Joe demanded and increased the pressure of his grip. 'I can't let you help him escape.'

 

'But he's not who you think he is! He's my friend!' Barry protested and tried to pull free. Joe wrapped both his arms around his son's waist and held him still.

 

'You're crazy if you think that killer is your friend,' Joe insisted and held on tight despite Barry's struggles.

 

'There's more to him than that,' Barry insisted and wriggled to turn and stare earnestly at Joe.

 

'He's a killer, Bear. He's wanted for questioning for at least 12 murders and he's suspected to have been involved in two terrorist incidents which have happened in Starling city since he became active,' Joe retorted in an attempt to get Barry to see reason.

 

Barry shook his head rapidly. 'No, he's not like that any more. Oliver is kind and intelligent. He makes me laugh and he understands me better than anyone else....Joe he's...'

 

Barry tailed off as he watched Oliver dash away. He felt the corners of his lips twitch and he could not stop the large grin that spread across his face at the thought of Oliver. Barry's eyes sparkled as he came to a realisation that made his heart leap.

 

'I love him,' Barry murmured to himself and smiled even wider.

 

'You what???' Joe exclaimed and his eyes widened in shock. He hoped that he had not heard that correctly.

 

It was then that Barry heard a loud bang and watched as a bullet headed straight for Oliver.

 

Barry felt a chill run down his spine and he began to wriggle in earnest to try and get free from Joe's grasp. 'Let me go, they're going to kill him!'

 

'Barry, calm down. They won't shoot to kill unless its necessary,' Joe explained calmly, but he frowned when he saw that the bullet was heading straight for the vigilante's chest. The prognosis would not be good if the bullet found its target.

 

Barry ignored Joe and continued to struggle. 'Please, Joe,' Barry begged and Joe saw that Barry's eyes were beginning to tear up.

 

'Go,' Joe whispered and released Barry. He hoped that his son would get there in time.

 

Barry felt his body vibrate and the electricity, the Speed Force, coursed through him rapidly. As soon as he was free from Joe's grasp Barry hurtled desperately towards Oliver.

 

Barry pushed himself as fast as he could go and reached out to try and stop the bullet that headed closer and closer, directly towards Oliver's chest. He strained, closed his eyes and willed himself to just move faster. His fingers were nearly around the bullet, but no...no he wasn't fast enough. Barry watched in horror as the bullet entered Oliver's chest and Oliver raised a hand to his chest before he fell to the ground.

 

'Ollie!' Barry felt his knees go weak and he dropped to them to catch Oliver as he fell. He slipped his arms around Oliver's shoulders and lifted Oliver's torso to rest on his lap so that he could lean his forehead against Oliver's.

 

Detective Lance stepped out of the shadows. He disarmed the officer that Oliver had shot at the mansion and held him in a tight grip.

 

'What the hell do you think you were doing?' Lance exclaimed and shoved the man forward.

 

'He shot me, he's a killer!' Simmons protested. 'I thought that you would be proud of me.'

 

Lance shook his head and berated the officer. 'We only ever shoot to kill if our lives are in danger. The vigilante was running away.'

 

'But he was resisting arrest!' Simmons complained, but he did not struggle to escape the hold Lance had on him.

 

'Then you should have taken him down at the legs,' Lance growled. The Flash was knelt nearby with the fallen vigilante across his lap and Lance watched with interest as the Flash pulled back his cowl. 'Well I'll be damned,' Lance muttered as he recognised their CSI, Barry Allen. He acted quickly and turned officer Simmons away from the scene so that the Flash's identity would be kept as secret as possible.

 

'His face was scarred and horrible, I think that he really was cursed! I probably did him a favour!' Simmons yelled as he was led away.

 

'That's not the point,' Lance ordered. 'Come on. Get moving.'

 

Lance directed the officer to walk away from the two vigilantes and towards where his partner waited. He shoved Simmons into his car and stood by Joe's side.

 

Joe looked on in shock as his son held a man who had apparently held him captive. He could tell from here that Barry was upset: he could see his son's shoulder's shaking. Joe cleared his throat. He needed to keep the other officers back so that Barry's identity was not compromised, but he could not find his voice.

 

'Stay back, leave them be,' Lance ordered the officers who had gathered around him and his partner. He nodded to Joe discreetly and Joe nodded back gratefully. They turned back towards the vigilantes to watch the scene in front of them from a distance.

 

'Barry...' Oliver coughed and his hand went to cover his mouth. It came back covered in red and Barry thought that he looked a little panicked.

 

'Ollie...save your strength,' Barry insisted softly and pulled back his cowl so that Oliver could cup his cheek. He put some pressure on the wound to try and stop the bleeding.

 

Oliver ignored him and looked at Barry fondly. 'I have never met anyone who came to mean so much to me so quickly. I love you, Barry,' Oliver murmured and leaned up to kiss Barry gently. He grimaced as his chest twinged with pain. 'I think that this is it.'

 

'You're not dying. I need to get you to a hospital,' Barry insisted and prepared himself to stand.

 

'No,' Oliver protested weakly and Barry watched as he clutched his chest and gritted his teeth against a spike of pain.

 

'Right, secret identity. I'll take you to Caitlyn. Hold on,' Barry ordered and tightened his left arm around Oliver's shoulders to prepare to move him.

 

'Barry...' Oliver reached out and his eyes were watery as took Barry's right hand from his chest. He looked into Barry's wild eyes.

 

Barry could see fear and pain in those beautiful blue eyes and he swallowed around a lump in his throat. Oliver looked so pale.

 

'Ollie...no,' Barry sobbed and brought their joined hands to his mouth as his lip trembled. 'You can't die now.'

 

Oliver released Barry's hand to wipe away some of the tears which had tracked down Barry's face as Barry shook gently. 'I'm sorry, Barry.'

 

'I love you Oliver,' Barry whispered brokenly. He felt a sharp pain in his chest and his heart hurt with the knowledge that mere moment's ago he had been so happy to realise it.

 

'I'm glad... that you feel the same, Barry,' Oliver smiled, but he wheezed and struggled to take his next breath. Barry nodded through his tears and pressed his lips gently to Oliver's. Oliver pushed past the pain and reached his hand up to cup Barry's cheek again. Barry's lip wobbled as he attempted a smile and he pulled away slightly to look Oliver in the eyes.

 

'I'm here Ollie, I'll always be here,' Barry reassured him as he stroked Oliver's cheek. 'I'm not leaving you.'

 

Oliver smiled gently at Barry and he exhaled heavily. His eyelids slid closed and his hand fell limply from where it had been on Barry's cheek.

 

Barry let his head drop to Oliver's chest and his shoulders began to shake. He sobbed brokenly, and it was a few moments before Barry felt Oliver's chest rise slightly. When Barry turned his head to press his ear against Oliver's chest he heard a faint heartbeat. Oliver was still alive.

 

Barry sat up and watched in wonder as the scarring on Oliver's face began to fade rapidly. With everything else that had been going on, he had forgotten the curse. He must have broken it when he had told Oliver that he loved him. Would the removal of the curse heal his wound too?

 

As if he had read Barry's mind, Malcolm Merlyn stepped forward and laughed evilly. 'You may have broken the curse, but no magic will save Oliver now. A bullet wound is a bullet wound, and the transformation will not magically cure him of all ills,' Merlyn insisted. 'Oliver will still die, and I will claim my prize.'

 

Barry watched as the man walked away with a swing in his step, and was horrified to see that a group of men joined him in the distance. He sighed heavily and turned his focus back to Oliver. He couldn't deal with them right now. The man was right. Oliver's breaths had become more unsteady and he began to shake in Barry's arms. Barry acted quickly. He lifted Oliver carefully and rushed away from the scene, past the police and back towards Star labs.

 

 

\--

 

 

Joe watched as Barry sped away with the vigilante and turned to his partner.

 

'Leave him,' Joe insisted. 'The stranger with one hand is right, the bullet that the vigilante took is likely to be fatal and we should leave the Flash to deal with the loss of his friend.'

 

Lance leaned close and placed a supportive hand on Joe's shoulder. 'Go, look after your son. I'll wrap things up here,' he whispered.

 

Joe looked up at him in shock. 'You sure?'

 

'Get out of here, if it were my daughter I'd do the same. You need to find out what happened with Zoom anyway,' Lance replied with a grim smile.

 

'Thank you,' Joe smiled and his eyes crinkled around the edges. He got in his car and buckled up.

 

'Joe,' Lance called after him. 'Don't worry. His secret is safe, so long as he doesn't go rogue.'

 

'I know him, and he would never do that,' Joe replied easily. Lance nodded and backed up as Joe hit the accelerator and directed his car towards Star labs.

 

 

\--

 

 

Barry burst into the cortex with Oliver in his arms.

 

Caitlyn gasped in horror when she saw that Barry was covered in blood.

 

'Caitlyn, help me, he's dying!' Barry insisted wildly.

 

Caitlyn recovered quickly and led Barry into a side room. Cisco followed them and helped Barry to lay Oliver on their medical bed carefully.

 

'What happened?' Caitlyn asked as she checked Oliver's vitals.

 

'He's been shot,' Barry explained quickly. 'In the chest.'

 

Caitlyn nodded and undid the front of Oliver's suit. She examined him carefully. 'Cisco, grab me something to disinfect the wound.'

 

Cisco nodded as he grabbed the material that they had tossed aside.

 

'Doesn't he wear armour? I could his improve his suit easily, if I were given a chance,' Cisco muttered as he walked into the main cortex. He tossed the jacket aside onto his desk and sighed when his search for their regular disinfectants turned up with nothing.

 

'Cisco!' Caitlyn yelled as she fixed an oxygen mask to Oliver's face. 'Hurry up!'

 

'Coming!' Cisco returned to the room with a bottle of alcohol, which he handed to Caitlyn apologetically. 'It's all that we have.'

 

'It will do,' Caitlyn insisted and poured some of the liquid over the wound. She frowned down at Oliver's chest. 'Barry, the wound is nearly closed now. I can't see the bullet, let alone get to it.'

 

'It must have healed with the rest of his scars when the curse broke,' Barry panicked and began to pace back and forth. He ran his hands up the back of his neck and through his hair, which became streaked with red. 'What do we do?'

 

'I can't treat him unless I can get the bullet out,' Caitlyn frowned. 'I'll need to scan his chest to see where it is and how to remove it.'

 

Cisco nodded and hooked Oliver up to an IV whilst Caitlyn completed the scan. Barry stood by helplessly, unsure of what he could do to help but unable to control the shaking of his limbs.

 

'He's bleeding internally and the wound is nearly closed now,' Caitlyn worried as she looked at the results.

 

'Is that bad news?' Cisco asked carefully. He watched as Barry shook with nervous energy and moved to place a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down.

 

'The bullet is stuck in deep. It's blocking up most of the blood flow from his right lung. Even if I were to open his chest, I can't get it out without causing too much damage,' Caitlyn explained.

 

Barry looked at her wildly and shook off Cisco's arm. 'Are you saying that there is there nothing that I can do? What if I try to ghost again? Run so fast that I go back in time? I did it before...I could stop Oliver being shot.'

 

'Barry...' Caitlyn looked at him sadly. 'You know that you've never been able to control it, that it usually happens by accident.'

 

'Even then, the last time that you messed with time, things didn't exactly go well,' Cisco mimed being punched in the face.

 

'He's losing oxygen, he's going to code,' Caitlyn warned and looked sadly at Barry. She had never seen him look so distraught. 'Barry, you should prepare yourself for the worst.'

 

'Please, there must be something that I can do!' Barry insisted desperately and stared at her with wide, panicked eyes.

 

'I can only stabilise him if the bullet is removed,' Caitlyn explained and shook her head. 'It's going to continue to block his blood flow otherwise.'

 

Barry frowned and looked down, deep in thought. Time slowed down for him, and in what was seconds for everyone else, although it seemed much longer to Barry, his head shot up and his eyes gleamed with hope. 'What if I phase through his chest and grab the bullet out?'

 

'Can you even do that, Barry?' Caitlyn asked curiously. 'I know that you phased through the door to Oliver's mansion, but you lost your suit. Are you sure that you will be able to control it?'

 

'I'm not sure,' Barry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. If he didn't try, he would lose Oliver anyway. Barry nodded decisively. 'I have to try, for Oliver.'

 

'If you can make it work, I should be able to stabilise him. It's our best shot, so give it a try,' Caitlyn agreed and stepped to the side to allow Barry to stand by Oliver's bedside.

 

Barry shut his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and they crackled with lightning as he reached out his hand towards Oliver's chest. Barry could feel his heart beat faster and his hand began to tremble. His hand connected with Oliver's chest, but it did not penetrate his skin. Barry began to shake. He drew his hand back and clenched his fist at his side.

 

'Try again,' Caitlyn encouraged gently and placed a hand on Barry's arm. 'You know that it's possible, maybe you just need to be in the right mindset?'

 

Barry nodded grimly and reached out again. His thoughts were racing and he was hyper aware of his heart pounding in his chest. Oliver could die. Oliver could die because Barry wasn't good enough, because Barry failed to save him. Barry felt his body begin to shake as his hand approached Oliver's chest. His lips trembled and he closed his eyes tightly.

 

'Please...' Barry murmured. His hand began to vibrate, but it hit against Oliver's chest rapidly and Barry drew it back quickly, terrified that he would hurt Oliver more than help. Barry smacked his fist against the table and cried out in frustration. It was too much pressure, there was too much riding on this.

 

Barry felt his lips begin to tremble and he sank into a chair by Oliver's beside with his head in his hands.

 

Caitlyn looked on sadly and moved to place a comforting hand on Barry's shoulder. She felt him shake with emotion. 'I'm so sorry, Barry.'

 

'You can't just give up!' Cisco protested as he looked from Barry to Oliver. 'Barry you never give up!'

 

'Cisco, I've tried,' Barry whimpered and looked up towards Oliver. His face was red and streaked with tears. 'It's not working.'

 

'So try again! If he means that much to you, then don't give up on him. Don't give up on yourself either,' Cisco insisted when he saw just how distraught Barry was. 'I know that it's difficult, but you have to calm down. Dr Wells always used to say that if you focus on nothing but the Speed Force within you, you can do anything. Clear your thoughts and try again!'

 

Barry sighed and looked down. When he looked up again a moment later, he was determined. 'All right. I'll try.'

 

Cisco watched as Caitlyn's hand rose and fell on Barry's shoulder as he took a couple of deep breaths to try and control his shaking body.

 

Barry closed his eyes and stood. He blocked out the little voice in his head which told him that he couldn't do this and approached Oliver. Barry focused on the feeling of the electricity which coursed through his veins, the power of his speed, and ignored everything else around him. He could feel his heart beating strongly, and suddenly he felt at one with the air around him.

 

Barry opened his eyes and they crackled with power as he reached out and through Oliver's chest to extract the bullet. He pulled his hand back carefully and opened it. Sitting in his palm was the bullet, and Barry breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed into the chair by Oliver's bedside. He was vaguely aware that Cisco had sighed with relief too and left the room. Oliver wasn't out of the woods yet, but he had the best doctor in Central city by his side.

 

Barry shuffled his chair backwards to let Caitlyn work and slumped to the side, exhausted and trembling. He drifted in and out of awareness as the night drew on. Time seemed to stand still and Barry was unsure if it was the worry, his exhaustion, hunger, or his powers that caused him to zone out and lose track of time. All he knew for sure was that Oliver's fate was in Caitlyn's hands now. Only time would tell if Oliver would wake up again. He had done all that he could and now all that he could do was wait. Barry pulled his knees up to his chest and let his head rest on them as he watched intently as Caitlyn battled to save Oliver's life.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in my head there is one more chapter to go :) (I know, I've said that a lot, and you probably don't believe me, I'm not sure that I believe me either!)
> 
> If anyone spots any really obvious errors let me know. I already caught the worst one, where I had Joe running hands through his hair. Yeah...
> 
> Next chapter will be up when I can. I'm pretty busy week this week, what with an MRI scan and a blood test, all because of a ridiculous ringing in my ears that won't go away!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this update took so long, I had a few issues that got in the way of writing. Between work (stressful, busy), hospital appointments, (my ears are fine, but there is some kind of cyst near my pituitary gland that is still being investigated :S) and trying to do a last minute application for a masters degree, I've barely had the time to sit and write lately. Now that most of that is behind me, I am free to update again properly :) 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos, it has been nice to see as I work on this when I can :)
> 
> This is the last chapter, it's longer than the others (about 14000 words) but there was no sensible place to break it up. It got a little explicit near the end, but I don't think it's too graphic. If anyone thinks that I've got the rating too low, let me know!

 

 

Barry jolted upright when a gentle hand touched his shoulder. He did not know how much time had passed and his eyes focused as he looked Oliver over carefully. Barry glanced up at Caitlin. Her lips twitched and she reassured him with a small smile.

 

'He's going to be fine,' Caitlin reassured Barry. 'Blood flow has returned to his lung, his blood pressure has stabilised and his oxygen levels are rising. I'll need to keep a close eye on him but he should pull through.'

 

'Thanks, Caitlin,' Barry replied, and dropped his legs to the floor. He rested his elbows on his knees and watched the steady rise and fall of Oliver's chest.

 

'Barry?' Caitlin spoke, and waited until Barry turned to face her before she continued. 'You should go and clean up, you're covered in blood.'

 

Barry hesitated and looked towards Oliver.

 

'I know that you want to stay by his side, but he's stable, and I'll be right here,' Caitlin insisted with a smile. 'There are some spare clothes in the lab.'

 

Barry made a face, reluctant, but at Caitlin's insistent look, he nodded and stood. 'I won't be long. If anything changes, come get me.'

 

'I will,' Caitlin promised, and watched as Barry sped off out of the cortex and towards their showers. Caitlin wandered into the cortex, but kept Oliver in view so that she could monitor his vitals.

 

'Is he OK?' Cisco asked, as he looked up from where he sat at his workstation.

 

'Barry, or Oliver?' Caitlin smiled and crossed her arms.

 

'Both, I guess. Oliver may be the one who got hurt, but I've never seen Barry so upset.' Cisco frowned. 'Are they a couple? I was joking before but they sure act like it...'

 

'I think that they might be.' Caitlin admitted with a smile. 'It's nice to see Barry moving on from Iris. Oliver's stable now, so I sent Barry to get cleaned up. He was reluctant, but I think that he will feel better for it.'

 

'Yeah, he got blood everywhere,' Cisco complained. 'It's a good thing that my suit is easy to clean.'

 

'You and that suit,' Caitlin smiled fondly and noticed that Cisco had some green fabric in his hands. 'What are you working on?'

 

'I figured that the Arrow could do with an upgrade,' Cisco grinned and held up a jacket. 'Kevlar. It's lighter and will provide a lot more protection. I'm now working on the pants.'

 

'Are you trying to give them matching outfits now?' Caitlin joked as she turned to head back towards the side room where Oliver lay.

 

'You know it!' Cisco exclaimed. He watched as Barry rushed in, all a blur, and in seconds the suit was on it's mannequin, clean and undamaged.

 

'Any change?' Barry asked as he rushed back to Oliver's side, dressed in sweatpants and a Star labs sweatshirt.

 

Caitlin shook her head. 'You were barely gone any time at all. It may be a while before he wakes up.'

 

Barry pulled a chair closer to Oliver's bedside, sat down, and reached out to hold Oliver's hand.

 

Cisco appeared in the doorway behind them. 'What happened to Oliver's face?' he whispered to Caitlin. 'Where are the scars?'

 

'I don't know.' Caitlin frowned and looked towards Barry. 'Barry, you said that there was a curse placed on Oliver, right?'

 

'He was cursed, but it's been broken now,' Barry explained. 'The stranger in black said that it wouldn't be enough to cure Oliver's bullet wound. I'm glad that he was wrong. It looks like there was enough residual energy left after his scars healed to begin to close the wound...'

 

Barry tailed off as a look of horror crossed his face. He dashed out of the room and returned less than a second later with his phone.

 

'Cisco, can you find a number for me? Oliver's sister is in danger!' Barry exclaimed, wide eyed and worried.

 

'I can't just pull a number out of thin air!' Cisco protested.

 

Barry frowned. 'Where's the Arrow suit? His communicator should still be working.'

 

'On my desk. I didn't touch the communication device,' Cisco replied.

 

Barry was back in a flash with the hood and communication device in his hand. He held the device to his ear and activated it.

 

'Um, Felicity, are you there?' Barry asked hesitantly.

 

'Barry? Is that you? Is Oliver OK?' Felicity replied in the next second. She sounded worried. 'I haven't heard from him in over an hour!'

 

'Oliver's been shot,' Barry explained and continued quickly at her sharp gasp. 'He's stable now, but he's not awake yet. That's not why I contacted you though. There's someone on route to your destination. He's after Thea. Is she with you?'

 

'She got back this evening to look after Oliver, only to find out that her brother was out and about, and not grieving like she thought he would be,' Felicity explained. 'She's with Diggle. They were just going to leave for Central to make sure that Oliver was OK.'

 

'No, no, stay there, OK? This man, he has a whole bunch of others with him. You will be able to hold them off better on familiar territory,' Barry insisted.

 

'Malcolm Merlyn.' Felicity sighed. 'OK. Thanks for letting us know Barry.'

 

'Do you want me to speed over there?' Barry offered after a pause. 'I could help you.'

 

'How long will Oliver be unconscious?' Felicity asked, and she felt overwhelmed when she thought of the short time that Oliver had left. It would be awful if he spent most of that time unconscious.

 

'Couple of hours, maybe?' Barry shrugged and looked at Oliver with a fond smile. 'It's hard to tell.'

 

'No, then.' Felicity insisted. If they were to have any chance to break the curse, Barry needed to stay near Oliver. 'Stay with Oliver. He will want you to be there when he wakes up.'

 

'I think that he would rather I protect his sister,' Barry muttered, but sighed and added, 'I don't want to leave him though. I'll stay.'

 

'It will take Merlyn a couple of hours to get to us,' Felicity explained with a pleased smile. 'When Oliver wakes up you can dash over and help us, if he's OK with that.'

 

Barry nodded. 'All right. Be careful, Felicity.'

 

'We will be. Take care of Oliver for us,' Felicity sighed and ended the communication.

 

Barry turned to Cisco and Caitlin. 'That was Felicity, she's Oliver's... part of his team.'

 

'I can't believe that we're friends with Team Arrow now!' Cisco exclaimed, face lit up with excitement. 'I can't wait to trade ideas!'

 

Barry grinned. 'When this is over, I'll show you the Arrow cave!'

 

'Will we be working together in future then?' Caitlin asked and tilted her head curiously towards Barry.

 

'Of course. You should have seen the way that we took down Zoom!' Barry's eyes gleamed with excitement. 'We're a good team. If it weren't for the police shooting Oliver, tonight would have been a great success.'

 

'The police shot him?' Caitlin exclaimed. 'What did he do?'

 

'He was running away!' Barry protested. 'He didn't do anything!'

 

'At least not this time,' Cisco frowned. 'Have you seen his record? He's wanted for more crimes than Captain Cold!''

 

Barry sighed and sat by Oliver's bedside. 'I know. He's just used to dealing with extremes though. He's trying to be better for my sake, but sometimes his methods are necessary given the kind of situations that he deals with. I'm just learning to accept that.'

 

Cisco and Caitlin shared a doubtful look, but after a pause, Caitlin nodded. 'Let me know if there is any change in his condition.'

 

Barry nodded and watched as Caitlin and Cisco left. He brought his feet up to rest on the bed and slouched in his chair. He hoped that Oliver woke up soon. There were rumours that Oliver did not operate alone in the field, but none of the people that Barry had met at the mansion seemed as tough as Oliver was. Oliver would want to make sure that his sister was OK as soon as he woke up, and Barry hoped that they wouldn't be too late to provide backup. Barry let his hand link with Oliver's on the bed and he settled in to wait for Oliver to wake up.

 

 

\--

 

 

Barry was not alone for long. Joe stuck his head into the room and stopped when he saw Oliver connected to an IV. He watched in silence for a few moments, and noticed the gentle rise and fall of Oliver's chest, before he made himself known. 

 

'Well I'll be damned. Quentin was right,' Joe muttered. 'When you called him Oliver out there I had my suspicions, but this confirms it. Oliver Queen is the vigilante.'

 

'He prefers the Arrow,' Barry murmured with a small smile.

 

'How is he?' Joe asked, cautious and unsure, as Barry's head turned towards him.

 

'It was a close call, but Caitlin says that he will be fine,' Barry replied as he ran a hand through his hair. He bit his lower lip and his eyes shone with worry. 'He should wake up soon, we hope.'  

 

'Good.' Joe replied and moved to stand beside Barry when he noticed how agitated the young man looked. 

 

'I don't know what I would have done if I lost him Joe,' Barry sighed. Joe placed a hand on his shoulder and Barry leaned into the comfort that the touch provided.

 

'You really care about him, don't you?' Joe asked, careful not to upset Barry. Barry's hand, linked with the vigilantes, did not go unnoticed. Joe hoped that it was just friendly, but he hadn't forgotten what he thought he had heard Barry say earlier at the airfield.

 

Barry nodded and squeezed Oliver's hand. 'He's my boyfriend, Joe.'

 

'Bear, are you crazy?' Joe huffed, and he ran a hand across his face to cover his disappointment. It was not the response that he had hoped for. 'That man cannot be your boyfriend! He's a killer. He shot one of our officers and kidnapped you!'

 

'He is, Joe, and I love him,' Barry insisted, and he met Joe's gaze head on. 'Look, I know that you don't approve, and I know that he's done bad things in the past, but being the Arrow? That isn't all there is to him. Oliver just does what he believes is necessary for the good of his city. Please, if you just give him a chance...'

 

'What about the officer he shot?' Joe interrupted firmly.

 

Barry looked down and away towards Oliver. 'Oliver is used to dealing with extreme, kill or be killed situations. He goes too far sometimes, but I can help him understand that extreme measures aren't always necessary. I know that I can. Just don't arrest him. Please.'

 

Joe sighed and regarded Barry with care. The boy who he had grown to love as if he were his own son looked at him in earnest, and Joe was reminded just how fond he was of Barry. To think that Barry had fallen in love again so fast, and with Oliver Queen no less, was more than a surprise. Joe was worried. Still, although Queen was not the ideal romantic partner that he had pictured for Barry, that award would always go to Iris, he was the man that Barry had chosen for himself. Joe calmed himself with a deep breath. Barry had grown into a determined, brave, young man, and Joe felt a swell of pride. Barry was a young adult now, one who was capable, and could of make his own choices. Whether or not he agreed with those choices, or with what Barry believed, Joe would always support his son, just as he had supported Barry throughout his childhood.

 

'All right, Bear. I can't approve of this relationship between you because of who he is, but I can appreciate that this is your choice and I'll keep his recovery quiet,' Joe relented and moved to embrace Barry.

 

'Thanks, Joe,' Barry murmured, grateful, and let Joe hold him for a while as he continued his silent vigil over Oliver.

 

 

\--

 

 

Oliver drifted. He was aware of voices around him, and then silence. The only thing that kept him grounded, calm, was the firm grasp of another hand over his own. His memories started to surround him in a dreamlike fog. He was with Thea, at the mansion, just the two of them. She had mentioned that she may leave Starling city.

 

Oliver watched, detached, as he held Thea close and she buried her head in his chest.

 

'I love you Thea,' Oliver murmured into Thea's hair.

 

'If you love me, why have you been so distant? You haven't been there when I've needed you most, even at mom's funeral... ' Thea mumbled and broke off into a sob.

 

Oliver sighed and held Thea tighter. He took a deep breath to ground himself. 'No more secrets, I promise.'

 

'Huh?' Thea muttered, and looked up, confused.

 

'It was my fault,' Oliver muttered. 'Mom, she died because of me, Thea.'

 

Thea pulled back to look Oliver in the eyes, wary. 'What do you mean it was your fault? You didn't kill her, Slade Wilson did.'

 

Oliver held her arms and forced himself to meet Thea's eyes. 'Slade Wilson was with me on the island. Our enemy gave me a choice. I could save Sara, or Slade's love, Shado. Shado died, and Slade blames me for it...'

 

Thea swallowed and looked like she may be sick, but interrupted with an angry, 'Who the hell makes someone make that kind of choice? Forget that, I thought that you were alone on the island!'

 

Oliver shook his head and let go of Thea. He faced her, solemn and unsure, as he began to explain. 'No. There were others. People that I couldn't trust, people who I thought I could trust who betrayed me. Slade wants to hurt me, to make me suffer in the same way that I made him suffer.'

 

'Couldn't you have gone to the police?' Thea protested. 'Before all this happened?'

 

Oliver shook his head. 'He knows Thea.'

 

'Knows what?' Thea pushed.

 

'My other secret, and I promised you that I would keep no more secrets,' Oliver insisted with a hesitant look towards his sister.

 

'What other secret?' Thea frowned and moved to stand closer, arms across her chest.

 

'The answer to your other question. Why I haven't been around when I really, really, should have been. When I wanted to be so badly.' Oliver sighed and looked away.

 

'Ollie, you're making me nervous,' Thea whispered. 'Just tell me.'

 

'I've been hunting Slade, and protecting Roy,' Oliver admitted, and watched Thea's face for a reaction.

 

'You're....him? The one in the hood?' Thea exclaimed, wide eyed. 'Why are you going after such a dangerous man, Ollie! Mom wouldn't want you to get hurt all for revenge!'

 

Oliver shook his head. 'It's much bigger than revenge. Slade has a drug, Mirakurou. He plans to use it to make an army of super powered soldiers to take over Starling city. He wants my home to burn, to take everything from me, piece by piece. I can't let him do that to my city, not when I've worked so hard to try and make it a better place.'

 

'Ollie...' Thea began, but Oliver held up a hand and interrupted her.

 

'I'm sorry that I lied to you,' Oliver murmured, and watched Thea's body language to determine what her reaction might be.

 

Thea moved fast and pulled Oliver into her arms. 'This explains everything. All those times you disappeared on us suddenly, every time you let us down, you were out there, saving people, helping this city. Ollie...Thank you.'

 

Oliver felt shocked, and for a moment he didn't move. Then, he relaxed, and held Thea close. 'Thank you, Thea, for understanding.'

 

'Make sure you take that bastard down, won't you?' Thea insisted, and her face twisted into a grim frown. 

 

Oliver nodded and they held each other for a moment longer.

 

'Hey Ollie, can you teach me how to fight? In case I ever need to?' Thea asked as she pulled back.

 

'I will always protect you.' Oliver insisted instead.

 

'Wouldn't you feel happier knowing that I could defend myself if you weren't around?' Thea pressed and squeezed his arm.

 

Oliver smiled ruefully. 'All right Speedy, but you are not under any circumstances taking Roy's place on the team.'

 

'Can I at least see the Arrow cave?' Thea begged.

 

'I am not calling it that. Ever,' Oliver grumbled.

 

Thea laughed and hit his arm. 'Come on, let's go. Show me your secret hideout.'

 

Oliver smiled and put an arm around her. 'All right, follow me.'

 

Thea nodded, and together they walked away. The backdrop went white and Oliver could feel himself stir. His hand twitched in a comfortable grip and the lights were so, so, bright when he attempted to open his eyes.

 

 

\--

 

 

Barry was drowsy and his eyes were half closed when he felt Oliver's hand twitch under his own. He sat upright in an instant and got to his feet to hover by Oliver's bedside.

 

'Ollie, how are you feeling?' Barry asked as he leaned over Oliver carefully.

 

'Sore, very sore,' Oliver groaned and tried to sit up.

 

Barry sat beside Oliver on the bed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Oliver leaned into the touch, grateful for the support.

 

'Caitlin said that you will probably feel that way for a little while.' Barry frowned and took Oliver's hand. 'I thought I had lost you.'

 

Oliver linked Barry's fingers with his own. 'I didn't think that I would make it either. How am I even alive?'

 

'I rushed you back here, but the bullet was lodged too deep for Caitlin to remove. I managed to phase through your chest and get the bullet out. After that, Caitlin was able to stabilise you,' Barry explained as he untangled his hand from Oliver's so that he could stroke Oliver's cheek.

 

'Thank you,' Oliver murmured and leaned into Barry's touch.

 

Barry smiled, amused. 'You don't need to thank me, I love you too much to let you die.'

 

Barry leant in to press his lips to Oliver's. Oliver sighed into the kiss and moaned as Barry's hand stroked down his smooth neck. He shuddered in realisation and pulled away to look down at his bare chest. 'Barry, are all my scars gone? I can't even see an entry wound for the bullet.'

 

Barry nodded. 'You started to heal after I told you how I feel. Even the bullet wound had nearly closed up by the time I got back here.'

 

Oliver grinned. 'Say it again.'

 

Barry rolled his eyes but indulged him. 'I love you, Oliver.'

 

'And I you,' Oliver replied, and his eyes welled up with relieved tears. He rubbed a hand over his face quickly.

 

'Hey, it's all right,' Barry reassured him with a touch to Oliver's shoulder. 'You're fine.'

 

Oliver took a deep breath and exhaled with a relieved, somewhat shaky, smile. 'I'd had the curse for so long that I thought it was going to kill me.'

 

'I'm glad that it didn't.' Barry admitted, and leaned forward to kiss Oliver, mindful of any pain that he might still feel.

 

Oliver closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed into the embrace. When he opened his eyes again he smiled up at Barry. 'I didn't think that anyone could learn to love me so quickly.'

 

'Well, I am fast,' Barry shrugged with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and Oliver laughed.

 

'I think I've established that,' Oliver grinned, and glanced over to the door as Cisco entered.

 

'Dude, you are lucky to be alive!' Cisco exclaimed as he wandered in with a drink from Big Belly Burger in hand. 'Caitlin, he's awake!'

 

Caitlin pushed past Cisco and into the room. 'Oh good, let me check you over. Can you move away for a minute, Barry?'

 

'Can you sit up by yourself?' Barry asked Oliver as he removed his arm from around Oliver's shoulder's.

 

'I'll be fine,' Oliver insisted.

 

'OK, that's good,' Barry nodded and moved to stand next to Cisco. 'Where's Joe?'

 

'He took off after he dropped off a snack, had an early shift tomorrow,' Cisco explained as he waved his drink. 'Yours is in the cortex, I told him you would be hungry.'

 

'Thanks man,' Barry smiled and sped off. Caitlin smiled after him and turned to Oliver.

 

'You seem stronger already,' Caitlin mused. 'I think the breaking of that curse has helped you to heal faster than I would expect.'

 

'I feel as strong as I did before the curse, if a bit sore,' Oliver mused. 

 

'Well, you don't have Barry's super healing ability, but you are well on the road to recovery,' Caitlin explained. 'I'm not sure how long it will take for you to recover fully, but you should take it easy for a couple of days at least.'

 

Oliver nodded and smiled as Barry returned with a couple of burgers. 'You want one Ollie?'

 

'Don't you need it?' Oliver asked, as he remembered how much Barry had eaten at the mansion.

 

Barry shook his head. 'Joe bought plenty, I already ate most of them.'

 

'Uh-huh,' Oliver smiled and Barry was at his side in an instant, with a burger held out towards him.

 

'Aww man, do you really need to super speed around the lab?' Cisco complained when he looked into the cortex. 'You've left burger wrappers all over the place.'

 

'I'll clean it up later,' Barry shrugged around a mouthful.

 

'Where's Merlyn?' Oliver interupted.

 

'He got away.' Barry sighed. 'Sorry.'

 

'Damn,' Oliver cursed and swung his legs over the side of the bed. 'We need to get back to the mansion.'

 

'I warned them that he was on the way,' Barry explained, and grabbed Oliver's arm to steady him as his legs gave way to a slight stumble. 'He's after Thea. I was going to rush over there and help, but Felicity wanted me to stay with you, and I wanted to make sure that you woke up first.'

 

Oliver face was grim, but determined. 'All right. Can you get us there fast now?'

 

'You realise who you are talking to, right?' Barry rolled his eyes, and then protested, 'You shouldn't be up and about, Ollie! You just woke up.'

 

'Thea is my sister, I have to be,' Oliver insisted, and folded his arms over his bare chest.

 

Barry sighed. 'All right, but please, let me do most of the work. I can take down a jerk like Merlyn.'

 

Caitlin grabbed a needle from the desk and filled it with liquid. 'Here, I'm going to give you a shot of antibiotics to prevent any infection, and I also want to give you some painkillers.'

 

Oliver nodded and held out his arm. Caitlin slid the needle into his vein and filled a second one. Barry zipped out, and was back in the room in the Flash suit by the time that Caitlin had finished.

 

Cisco handed Oliver a pile of green material. 'Here. This will help. I've replaced the material. It should provide you with better protection.'

 

Oliver reached out and took it. 'It's good. Feels lighter.' Oliver shrugged the jacket on and looked towards Cisco with a concerned frown. 'Where's the hood?'

 

'Right here,' Barry smiled, and grabbed the hood from his chair. 'I had to use the communicator earlier to get in touch with Felicity. 

 

'Mm hmm,' Oliver replied, and accepted it with a grateful smile. 'I'll get changed, then we can go.'

 

'Right,' Barry replied, and turned to Cisco as Oliver left. 'Can you adjust my communication frequency so that I can keep in touch with Oliver and Felicity if we get separated?'

 

'Sure, but once you're on their frequency you won't be able to talk to us,' Cisco pointed out. 'How are we meant to keep in touch with you?'

 

'You and Caitlin have done more than enough. You should head home and get some rest,' Barry offered.

 

'No, we're coming,' Caitlin insisted as Cisco adjusted Barry's communicator. 'We'll drive along behind you to the mansion, just in case you need us.'

 

'You don't have to do that,' Barry insisted and raised his hands. 'I'll be fine.'

 

'We want to see the Arrow cave,' Cisco blurted out. Barry rolled his eyes at his friend. 'Come on, I want to see the toys! We didn't get to see much last time because we were thrown straight into the dungeons!'

 

'All right, all right,' Barry held his hands up and laughed. 'You can come.'

 

'Great!' Cisco exclaimed. 'Here's your communicator. I've adjusted one of our spares to the same frequency. If you need us, you can contact us.'

 

'We'll go get the van, see you in a couple of hours,' Caitlin smiled. 'Try not to get hurt this time, both of you!'

 

'See you soon Caitlin, thanks Cisco.' Barry smiled and turned the device on. 'Felicity, can you hear me?'

 

'Barry, is that you? How's Oliver?' Felicity rushed to ask.

 

'He's fine, he's up. I'm heading over now to help you guys,' Barry reassured her.

 

'Oh, good,' Felicity said, and Barry could hear tension in her voice. 'Merlyn and his men will be here any minute. There are more than we expected and we could use your help.'

 

'I'm on my way,' Barry reassured her and turned the earpiece off. Oliver walked in, suited up and quiver on his back. Barry turned to him. 'You ready?'

 

'Ready,' Oliver nodded, and Barry grabbed him and ran them to the mansion gates.

 

 

 --

 

 

Queen Mansion:

 

John Diggle stuck to the shadows near the door to the Queen mansion with Felicity, Thea and Laurel, gun ready.

 

'Merlyn will be here at any minute,' Felicity explained as she touched the screen on her tablet. 'He has a lot more men than I expected.'

 

'We have the home field advantage, we have to hope that it's enough.' Diggle sighed. 'Where's Roy?'

 

'He's not picking up. I've sent him a text. We just have to do the best that we can without him, and hope that he shows up.' Thea frowned at her phone.

 

'Felicity, you should stay in the lab with Thea,' Laurel insisted.

 

'I can fight!' Thea protested. 'Oliver taught me!'

 

'Merlyn is after you, it's best if you lay low. Oliver would never forgive us if you got hurt or kidnapped,' Diggle murmured.

 

'Oliver's not here!' Thea exclaimed. 'You can't stop me!'

 

'I...' Diggle started, but was interrupted by a loud bang on the door. 'They're here.'

 

'We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,' Merlyn's voice floated through the door.

 

'Felicity, run,' Laurel insisted. 'Take Thea.'

 

'I'm staying. He's my father, I should deal with him,' Thea protested.

 

Felicity looked torn. The door fell to the floor with a loud thud and Felicity flinched.

 

'Go!' Diggle yelled, and Felicity grabbed Thea's hand. Thea pulled free and shook her head. Felicity sighed and turned to run towards the basement.

 

Thea held her ground, prepared to fight, as Malcolm and his men burst in through the door. Diggle, Laurel and Thea kept to the shadows as Merlyn and his men fanned out into the hallway.

 

'I will admit, I am surprised that you are prepared for my arrival. I thought that the speedster would be too distraught over Oliver's death to warn you,' Merlyn called out. 'It will be much easier for you all if you just hand Thea over to me. I might even let you live.'

 

Merlyn moved into the room and waited. No one came forward. 'No? All right. Kill them all.'

 

It was chaos after that, and Diggle lost track of the others as he, Laurel and Thea tried to fight through the hordes. Out of the corner of his eye Diggle saw Roy join them and was grateful for the assistance, but then he noticed Merlyn with his arm around Thea. A chill spread through him and he tried to make his way over to them. His path was blocked by some of the assassins and he growled as he tried to fight his way through.

 

'Get your hands off me! Where are you taking me?' Thea struggled as Merlyn directed her towards the stairs, flanked by three of his assassins.

 

'Somewhere more private where we can talk, my dear,' Merlyn insisted. 'I'm not going to hurt you.'

 

'Thea!' Diggle yelled, but was drowned out by the noise of the fight and unable to follow them.

 

Moments later, Barry and Oliver appeared in the doorway and took in the chaos in front of them.

 

Diggle and Roy fought with a group of five men that surrounded them, and Laurel had her hands full with two men who advanced towards either side of where she stood on the staircase. Thea and Felicity were nowhere in sight. Neither was Merlyn.

 

'Felicity,' Oliver growled into his communicator. 'Where is Thea?'

 

'Upstairs with Merlyn!' Felicity yelled into Oliver's ear. 'Why are you even here? You shouldn't be out of bed, Barry said that you had been shot!'

 

'Barry's here too,' Oliver told her as he made his way towards the stairs. He punched out an assassin on the way and shot another. Barry winced as the bodies hit the floor and hastened to keep up with Oliver.

 

'As if that makes any difference!' Felicity insisted to Oliver. 'Barry, when I said that you could dash over and help us, I didn't mean both of you!'

 

'He refused to stay in Central, and he's fine, better than ever,' Barry protested.

 

'We don't have time for this. We need to find Merlyn,' Oliver insisted and led the way up the stairs.

 

A fresh wave of men arrived and blocked their path. Barry nodded to Oliver. 'Go, I'll hold them off.'

 

Oliver smiled, but it was grim. 'Be careful, Barry.'

 

'You worry about Thea, I can handle myself,' Barry grinned, and got to work with a few well timed punches at super speed towards the men as Oliver continued on upstairs.

 

 

\--

 

 

Oliver crept into one of the upper rooms of the mansion, one of the last that he had checked in his pursuit of Merlyn. Thea stood on the defensive, with her arms crossed, but she was right in front of Merlyn, and there was no clear shot from here. Oliver settled back to listen as they talked, and waited for the right moment, a clear shot.

 

'I'm your father, Thea, I am all the family that you have left. Come with me,' Merlyn insisted.

 

'No.' Thea shook her head. 'Ollie has two more days, and even if he doesn't break the curse, I will never go with you. I know what you did to him you sicko! My brother may not have told me outright, but I'm not stupid. I heard Felicity and Diggle mention your name.'

 

'Thea, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Oliver is dead. Shot through the heart by the police for being the vigilante that he is, that he has been since he returned from the island,' Merlyn smirked. 'He died in the arms of his love.'

 

'If you're trying to manipulate me, it won't work!' Thea exclaimed. 'It takes more than a gunshot wound to kill my brother, and I know that he is the Arrow. I know that he saved a lot of people. I also know that when you cursed my brother, you hurt a lot of people by taking Ollie out of the picture. It threw Starling city into chaos. My home is now in tatters because of you.'

 

Merlyn looked surprised. 'How...'

 

'He _told_ me _._ Right after our mother died. My brother is a good man, and you hurt him! I will never forgive you,' Thea yelled.

 

'Oliver had every chance to break the curse, he just had to find true love,' Merlyn insisted as he remained calm.

 

'But that's not fair!' Thea protested, with tears in her eyes. 'You know that Ollie struggles to trust people. You gave him so little time to fix an issue that was learned over years stranded on that island!'

 

Merlyn shrugged. 'If you had come with me when your mother died, I would never have had to resort to such measures.'

 

'My brother looked after me, he helped me. He told me the truth, and knowing that I never would have left him,' Thea insisted and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

'Regardless, Oliver is dead now, he had his chance and he blew it. He's _left_ you Thea, abandoned you, all because he wanted to help his new boy toy. You have nothing left here. Come with me, and we can rule the world together!' Merlyn laughed and held out his arms. 'What do you say, my daughter?'

 

'No.' Thea remained adamant. 'I have Roy, and Ollie's friends, even if what you say is true and Ollie is... gone.' Thea broke off into a sob.

 

'Roy? You mean the man that killed Sara?' Merlyn smirked.

 

'What?!' Thea exclaimed, and held a hand over her mouth in shock. 

 

'You heard me. He destroyed your brothers chance at love. Some friend he is,' Merlyn grinned.

 

'No...' Thea whimpered. 'It's not true.'

 

Merlyn saw that he had hit a nerve and continued. 'Yes, it is.'

 

'Is that why he left?' Thea's legs trembled, and she fell to her knees in shock. 'No. Roy would never do that, you're lying!'

 

'Merlyn!' Oliver growled as he stepped into the room with his bow drawn back and an arrow aimed at Malcolm Merlyn. 'Get away from Thea!'

 

'Oh come on, what does it take to get rid of you?' Merlyn growled.

 

'The feeling is mutual,' Oliver threw back. 'You manipulated Roy into killing Sara. You drugged him and now he feels too guilty to show his face here. He thinks that he is responsible for the curse continuing.'

 

'An unfortunate consequence, but yes, I couldn't let you live and Sara was getting too close.' Malcolm turned to Thea. 'I did not mean to hurt you, my daughter. Obviously I couldn't kill Sara myself, so I had to make other arrangements.'

 

'You bastard, you said that you were giving him a chance!' Thea protested.

 

'I would have ended Felicity too, if you had not ruined that so successfully yourself,' Malcolm smirked towards Oliver.

 

Oliver glared at Merlyn as a thought came to him. 'You sent Zoom after Barry.'

 

'Yes, Damiens idea. He was supposed to die in your arms, but Barry Allen has proved surprisingly resilient, and very hard to get rid of. He's a lot like you, actually. I can see why you're attracted to him,' Merlyn grinned and moved closer to Thea.

 

'Get away from her,' Oliver warned.

 

'But we were having such a lovely conversation!' Merlyn exclaimed, and his men stepped from the shadows to grab Thea by the throat as she tried to run to her brother. 'Ah, ah, ah, fire that arrow, or even think about it, and they will break her neck,' Merlyn smirked as Oliver moved to fire. Thea looked on in horror. 'You understand, Thea. I must defend myself.'

 

Oliver scowled. Where was Barry? It should not have taken him long to fight those men. Was he hurt?

 

'I was just telling Thea how dead you were. I guess that I was mistaken. The speedster is the one to blame for that I take it?' Merlyn scowled.

 

'You got that right!' Barry replied with a cocky grin as he appeared by Oliver's side.

 

'You're late.' Oliver glanced at Barry, and gave him a once over. He was relieved to see that Barry was unharmed, and returned his full attention to Merlyn. 

 

'Sorry,' Barry shrugged. 'I wanted to help the others. They're safe now, but even with super speed it took a while to find you.'

 

Oliver smiled tightly at him and kept his gaze fixed on Merlyn.

 

''Right, right. Stop rambling. I get it.' Barry shrugged. He rushed forward and grabbed Thea.

 

'Go, get her to safety,' Oliver yelled and engaged the four men that had held Thea captive.

 

'Will you be okay?' Barry worried, and looked between Thea and Oliver, torn.

 

Oliver looked towards Merlyn, who advanced towards the speedster and his sister. 'Go.'

 

Barry nodded. 'I'll be back.'

 

Barry sped down to the basement and Felicity yelped in surprise from where she sat at her monitor, the situation in the hallway on her screen behind her.

 

'Hey you can't just drag me away and leave my brother to fight!' Thea protested.

 

'I'm going back for him!' Barry insisted, and did not bother to disguise his voice.

 

'Hey, that voice, Barry?' Thea wondered aloud.

 

Barry nodded.

 

'You're the Flash?!' Thea exclaimed.

 

'Yup,' Barry grinned and pulled down his cowl. He ran a hand through his hair, and it stuck up at all angles.

 

'Why didn't you tell me that we knew the Flash?' Thea directed towards Felicity, who shrugged. Thea turned to Barry. 'Why did you even stay here? You could have run away at any time...'

 

'It's a long story,' Barry sighed with a restless glance towards the door. 'I need to get back to Oliver. He shouldn't be fighting in his condition. Lock the door after me, OK?'

 

Barry didn't wait for a reply and dashed out.

 

'We're not going to lock the door, are we?' Thea smiled ruefully.

 

'Nope.' Felicity replied, and stood. 'We need to check on the others. I'm sure that the Flash and the Arrow can handle Merlyn.'

 

 

\--

 

 

Oliver winced as his chest gave a twinge, and he took a deep breath as he dodged another blow.

 

'What's the matter Oliver? Can't handle a few men? The old you would have relished this fight,' Merlyn taunted as he watched Oliver struggle.

 

Oliver did not waste his breath on a reply. Merlyn was right. He was not at full strength, even though the curse had been broken. It had been a long time since he had fought like this: for his life against skilled individuals who wanted to kill him. Oliver wheezed and broke into a cough. He held a hand to his mouth and when he glanced at it, he saw red. Blood.

 

The men took their chance. One barrelled into Oliver, and they crashed through the window and onto the roof. Oliver winced as a shard of glass cut his neck. It was no use, he was winded, exhausted. He brought up his arms to block the blows the best that he could, and watched for an opening, something to tip the situation to his advantage again. Two of the men grabbed Oliver and held him on his knees. Another approached and smirked at him.

 

'I was expecting more of a challenge. Should I kill him, or throw him from the roof?' the assassin asked.

 

Merlyn was about to approach when a blur sped into the room. Oliver blinked and when he opened his eyes the men were tied up, unconscious, in the corner of the room inside.

 

Barry sped over to Oliver and noticed the cut on his neck. 'You OK? You're bleeding.'

 

Oliver nodded and touched his neck. 'Fine. It's just a surface wound.'

 

'Good. I'm glad that I got back in time.' Barry held out a hand and helped Oliver to his feet.

 

'Thanks, I had that though,' Oliver murmured.

 

'No, you didn't.' Barry smiled and gave Oliver's lips a gentle kiss.

 

'Get a room,' Merlyn growled, and threw a dart at the distracted speedsters leg.

 

Barry winced and bent to pull the dart free. His vision blurred and he felt himself sway and grow weaker. Oliver helped Barry back away from the Merlyn as he climbed out of the window and advanced towards them.

 

'Nanites, emitting a high frequency pulse to disable your speed, stolen from Palmer technology,' Merlyn sneered, and threw a dagger towards the speedster.

 

Barry tried to speed out of the way and panicked when he realised that he couldn't. Oliver stood his ground in front of Barry and caught the weapon, tossed it aside. 'Your issue is with me, Malcolm, leave Barry out of this.'

 

'No, Ollie, you're hurt,' Barry protested, but his limbs felt weak and he was unable to stop Oliver from protecting him.

 

'I can handle this, Barry,' Oliver insisted, and glanced over at Barry, who looked worried and powerless. He vowed to himself that, after this was over, he would teach Barry hand to hand combat, so that if he were ever without his powers again, Barry could defend himself. 'This ends now, Merlyn.' Oliver readied an arrow and stalked towards Merlyn.

 

'You would really kill your sister's flesh and blood?' Merlyn spat. 'Thea would hate you.'

 

Oliver swung his bow over his shoulder and backed Merlyn into a corner. He grabbed Merlyn by the throat and held in a tight grip. Oliver increased the pressure in his grip, before he shook his head and threw Merlyn to the side.

 

'Go, get out of here and never return, before I change my mind. You are outnumbered and outclassed,' Oliver growled.

 

'You've gone soft, Oliver,' Merlyn smirked, but made as if to leave. He glared as Oliver made his way over to the speedster.

 

Oliver turned away to embrace Barry, satisfied. 'You OK?'

 

Barry nodded and directed a bright, proud, smile towards Oliver. His face fell as he watched Merlyn move towards Oliver from behind with a knife drawn. Barry faltered because of the nanites in his system, but still managed to push Oliver to one side and get between him and Merlyn.

 

Barry gasped as the knife drove into his chest. Oliver approached, but Merlyn was faster. He gave Barry no time to recover, and grabbed Barry by the throat.

 

'I was just going to kill Oliver and take Thea, but I see that even without your speed, you will continue to attempt to disrupt my plans,' Merlyn glowered.

 

'Leave Oliver alone,' Barry groaned as he began to struggle. His struggles moved the knife in his wound, and he winced as Merlyn yanked it out. Barry watched, detached, as blood began to flow out of the wound and down his chest.

 

'No, I think that now, I will kill you, and make Oliver watch.' Merlyn grinned, and manoeuvred Barry so that he had the speedster in a one armed headlock. Barry's eyes widened in fear and his struggles renewed. He gasped and tried to take a breath, but Merlyn tightened his grip and held Barry in front of him as a shield when Oliver went for his bow.

 

'No...' Oliver stammered and hesitated. Barry's eyes were wide as he struggled to breathe. He gasped and attempted to get air into his lungs, but Oliver could see that Merlyn's grip was tight. Barry was unable to move. His eyes darted around, frantic, as he looked for a way to escape. Oliver could see Barry tense as he tried to struggle against Merlyn, but Merlyn moved his hand-less arm into place to pin Barry to his chest.

 

'Not one more step, Oliver, or pretty boy gets it,' Merlyn warned as Oliver took a step forward.

 

'You're going to kill me anyway,' Barry whimpered as he gasped for air.

 

'You need to die,' Merlyn growled, and without mercy or hesitation, broke Barry's neck and dropped him from the roof of the mansion.

 

Oliver watched in horror as Barry fell and hit the ground below, and did not stir. 

 

'BARRY!' Oliver flew at Merlyn and gave him a violent shove towards the wall by the window. 'Why should I spare you now?' Oliver growled and held Merlyn against the wall. He winced as a knife drove into his stomach, but his rage dulled the pain.

 

'For Thea. Your sister would hate you forever if you killed her father,' Merlyn insisted with a smug look on his face.

 

'Oh would I?' Thea came over from the window and stood beside her brother, arms folded across her chest and expression grim. 'After what you did just did, after all that you've done, you deserve no mercy. Do it Ollie. End him.'

 

Oliver took a deep breath and looked down at where Barry lay. His throat clenched, but he closed his eyes and forced himself to calm. The younger man would never approve of cold blooded murder, even if it were Merlyn. He threw Merlyn to the floor. 'I won't stoop to his level. I'm supposed to be better than the people I fight.'

 

Thea shook her head in disbelief. 'After all that he's done to you? After what he did to Barry? Ollie he was your last hope.'

 

Oliver nodded. 'I know. But Barry...he would not have seen it as necessary.'

 

'That's because he was weak!' Merlyn insisted, and pointed at Barry's prone form, confident now that Oliver did not intend to kill him. 'Look where his weakness got him!'

 

Oliver growled low in his throat and turned to fire a quick arrow at Merlyn. Merlyn flinched and Thea looked away. A strong net surround Merlyn and Merlyn smirked.

 

'Get the others to help you lock him in the dungeons,' Oliver insisted. 'I'll deal with him later.'

 

'All right,' Thea replied, and was hesitant as she looked at her brother in wonder and concern. 'What about you?'

 

Oliver indicated towards the ground with a grim expression on his face. 'I have to see for sure...'

 

Thea nodded with a sad smile and gave Oliver a quick hug. 'I love you, Ollie.' She released Oliver reluctantly and turned to lead Merlyn away. 'Come on you, get walking!'

 

Oliver shot an arrow towards a tree near the perimeter and used his bow on the strong cable to slide down to the ground. He rushed to Barry's side, dropped to his knees, and pushed back his hood. Barry was barely hanging onto consciousness.

 

'Barry? Barry...' Oliver cupped Barry's cheek with his hand.

 

'Ollie...it hurts...' Barry whimpered, and struggled to sit up.

 

'Try not to move,' Oliver insisted and slipped his arms around Barry in a gentle embrace.

 

Barry winced and closed his eyes against the pain. 'What happened to Merlyn?'

 

'On his way to the dungeons,' Oliver replied and leaned in closer. Barry took a deep, shaky, breath and forced his eyes to open when he felt Oliver's lips brush against his forehead.

 

'You didn't kill him? I thought that you would,' Barry mused, eyes unfocused.

 

Oliver shook his head. 'He wasn't worth it.'

 

'I'm proud of you, Ollie,' Barry whispered, and grimaced as he shifted his leg and jostled his wound.

 

'I love you,' Oliver murmured and let his forehead rest against Barry's in an attempt to comfort him.

 

Barry closed the small distance between their lips, and when he kissed Oliver it was tender. He placed a hand on Oliver's cheek and his eyes regained some of their focus as he noticed how worried Oliver looked. 'This isn't goodbye, Ollie. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me and take care of yourself.'

 

Oliver cradled Barry in his arms and was gentle when he supported his head, but a look of horror crossed his face when Barry's eyes slid shut and his head rolled to the side.

 

'No. No! Barry, open your eyes,' Oliver begged, and cupped Barry's face in both hands. 'Please...'

 

Oliver held his fingers at Barry's neck for a long moment. Nothing. Oliver cursed and grabbed Barry's wrist to be sure, but there was no reassurance of life there either, and no breathe emerged from Barry's slightly parted lips. Oliver started chest compression's in a desperate attempt to revive Barry, but it was no use. Barry remained lifeless.

 

'No...' Oliver sobbed, broken, and he leaned his forehead down to rest against Barry's. 'Please, no.'

 

'Oliver?' Felicity asked as she approached, slow and cautious. 'Thea said not to come out here, but I couldn't leave you... Is Barry...?'

 

'I've lost him,' Oliver whimpered, and Felicity had never heard him sound so broken.

 

'Oliver...' Felicity paused and looked at Barry's prone form. Suddenly, her face brightened with a hopeful smile. 'What if it's like the last time, Oliver? We thought he was done for, but he pulled through.'

 

'I can't feel a pulse this time, Felicity, he's not breathing,' Oliver insisted, and he sounded numb, closed off.

 

Felicity continued regardless, and tried to provide a shred of hope. 'I could call Caitlin and...'

 

'No... I've tried to revive him,' Oliver muttered and shuddered. His eyes flickered closed and his shoulder's tensed. 'It's no use.'

 

'Oliver...' Felicity tried again.

 

'Just leave me the hell alone, Felicity,' Oliver lashed out, and turned back to hold Barry's limp form close.

 

Felicity covered her mouth to hold back a sob and ran back inside. In the hallway, she ran into Thea, Laurel, Diggle and Roy.

 

'What is it, Felicity?' Laurel asked when she noticed the tears of her friend.

 

'It's Barry, he's...' Felicity trailed off with a sob.

 

Thea looked grim. 'Is Ollie...?'

 

'He won't talk to me,' Felicity sniffled and looked towards the door. 'I don't know what to do.'

 

'Give him time,' Diggle murmured as he followed her gaze. 'Barry was his last hope to break the curse, and I think that Oliver was starting to fall for him.'

 

'Oliver had already fallen for him,' Felicity murmured sadly. 'He hoped that Barry would learn to love him in return in time.'

 

Thea huffed in surprise and ran a hand through her short hair. 'Poor Ollie. What do we do?'

 

'There's nothing that we _can_ do. Oliver won't talk to us,' Felicity muttered and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

'Are we sure that Barry is dead?' Diggle asked.

 

'I don't know. Oliver said that Barry has no pulse, but you didn't see Barry after he was attacked in the woods. He has amazing healing capabilities. I know that it's a lot to hope for, but maybe Barry can survive this too, for Oliver's sake.' Felicity looked away. 'It's just so much to hope for, Barry to recover, and to fall for Oliver in two days...'

 

Thea held Felicity close. 'We just have to hope. If not, we will do what we've always done, look after my brother until the end.'

 

'Laurel and I will keep watch in case Merlyn's men come back,' Roy offered, and nodded towards the door. He and Laurel headed over to keep watch, and Laurel kept her eyes on a distraught Oliver as he shook with emotion. Felicity, Diggle, and Thea settled in to wait, and they cleared up the damage from the fight as they waited for Oliver to come inside or for Barry to make a miraculous recovery.

 

 

\-- 

 

 

Oliver did not know how much time had passed. His tears had mingled with the rain that had started to fall when Felicity had left, and Oliver felt a deep chill settle within him. He felt cold, empty inside, and his heart felt heavy. Barry felt limp in his arms, and Oliver knew that he would have to move inside soon, despite his reluctance to face the others and the reality of the situation.

 

'To be free of the curse was all that I ever wanted, but how am I supposed to go on without you?' Oliver muttered as the skies began to brighten. It did nothing to lighten Oliver's mood and he shuddered, his muscles tense with emotional pain.

 

Oliver felt a few more tears spill down his cheeks, and he did not try to stop them. Barry's love had given him the new lease of life that he had longed for, and yet now that he had lost Barry, he didn't feel much like living any more. Oliver sucked in a deep breath. He would have to live though, for Barry, and vowed to protect both of their cities with everything he had. 

 

A whimper startled Oliver out of his reverie, and he looked down at Barry in shock. 'Ollie, it's cold,' Barry muttered as his eyes fluttered open, and Oliver saw him draw in a deep breath as he tried to control a sudden shiver.

 

'Barry... you weren't breathing,' Oliver murmured in awe. He was careful not to jostle Barry too much as he cupped Barry's cheek and looked down into confused green eyes.

 

'How long for?' Barry asked with a wince as he attempted to sit up.

 

Oliver slipped an arm around Barry's shoulders and helped him to sit up. Barry's head flopped uselessly to the side and Oliver directed Barry to lean on his shoulder as he replied, 'I don't know. I lost track of time.'

 

'I feel awful. Why are we still outside?' Barry frowned and took in Oliver's appearance: covered in blood, eyes red and swollen, face wet with tears and soaked through. 'Are you OK, Ollie? We need to get you inside, you're bleeding.'

 

'Me? Merlyn broke your neck and threw you off the roof. I thought that you were dead!' Oliver exclaimed, and could not contain the shudder that wracked his body. 'I don't think that it's me you need to worry about.'

 

'I'm OK, just a little bruised and battered,' Barry insisted and tried to lift his head in an attempt to reassure Oliver. Oliver stared at him in disbelief. Barry sighed. 'OK, so I can't lift my head very well, and my back feels like it might be broken again, but I'll be fine. I have my ability to heal...'

 

Barry tailed off and reached up to stroke Oliver's cheek. Oliver was gentle as he lifted Barry into his arms, mindful of his injuries. 'Let's get you inside and dried off.'

 

Barry let out a sigh and was unable to stop his head when it fell to rest on Oliver's chest. He smiled as Oliver supported his neck with a careful hand. 'I'd like that.'

 

Oliver carried Barry inside the mansion, where he was met with a worried Cisco and Caitlin, who had confronted his team in the hallway.

 

'He can't be dead!' Caitlin protested. 'Barry has healed everything that's been thrown at him! Why would this be any different?'

 

'Oliver said that he had no pulse. You're welcome to check, Oliver should have had enough time to process by now,' Felicity murmured, and looked towards the door where Laurel and Roy watched as Oliver made his way inside. 'Oliver!'

 

'Barry!' Caitlin was at Oliver's side in an instant, and felt Barry's neck for a pulse. She was relieved when Barry's eyes fluttered open, but grew concerned when she saw the state that Barry was in and the pinched look of pain on his face. 'What did you do to him?'

 

'Oliver didn't do anything!' Barry protested from his place in Oliver's arms, and his face was pinched in pain as he continued. 'It was Malcolm Merlyn.'

 

'What happened to you?' Cisco asked as he took in Barry's weakened state. He stayed close to Caitlin as they followed Oliver further into the mansion.

 

Barry tried to speak, but broke off into a cough and sighed. Oliver rubbed his arm to reassure him and nodded at Cisco and Caitlin. 

 

'Merlyn stabbed him, broke his neck, and threw him off the roof. He was unconscious for a very long time and had no detectable pulse,' Oliver explained.

 

'Do you have anywhere we can treat him?' Caitlin asked. 'I'll need bandages, antiseptic, and something to top up his blood sugar levels.'

 

'We have a well stocked infirmary,' Oliver interrupted and began to head away.

 

'Oh, good.' Caitlin hurried to follow Oliver. Cisco hung back.

 

'Do you need me?' Cisco called after her.

 

'Do any of your team have medical training?' Caitlin directed towards Oliver.

 

Oliver nodded. 'Dig?'

 

'Right.' Diggle nodded and followed them.

 

'No, then,' Caitlin smiled fondly. 'Go and look at their toys.'

 

'Yes! Feel better soon, Barry!' Cisco called and ran over to Thea, Roy, and Laurel. 'So, which one of you is going to show me the Arrow cave?'

 

'We don't call it that!' Oliver yelled over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs, and Barry smiled in his arms.

 

'I do!' Roy laughed, and led Cisco away in the direction of Oliver's base.

 

'Sorry about him,' Barry smiled. 'He gets excited.'

 

'Just how normal are these kind of injuries for you? Your friends aren't even worried...' Diggle wondered aloud.

 

Caitlin frowned. 'I guess we just got used to it. Barry heals fast: we know by now that it always looks worse than it is, and he's usually back on his feet in no time.'

 

Oliver sighed and nodded to the door in front of them. Caitlin opened it, and Oliver walked over to the bed. He was careful as he placed Barry down, and stepped back to look at Caitlin.

 

'Can you get him out of the suit?' Caitlin asked Oliver as Diggle helped her to prepare some supplies.

 

Oliver nodded and moved to undress Barry.

 

'Hey! We haven't even had our second date yet,' Barry protested, but he grinned up at Oliver.

 

Oliver smiled and leaned down to kiss Barry. 'When you're better, I'm going to take you on as many dates as it takes.'

 

'You already have,' Barry laughed, and Oliver could see that he could move his neck a little already. 'I move fast, remember?'

 

Oliver grinned and pressed his lips to Barry's with a little more passion.

 

'Get a room, man,' Diggle teased, but his smile was fond, and he noticed that Oliver had turned to glare at him with a scar-free face. 'Glad you managed to work things out, Oliver.'

 

Oliver backed away with a small smile. 'Thank you, John.'

 

'Is there anything else that I need to know?' Caitlin asked, businesslike.

 

'I was injected with something. It drained my speed,' Barry explained.

 

'Nanites,' Oliver supplied and turned to Felicity when she entered with some towels. She passed one to Oliver and he accepted it with a grateful smile. 'Could you call Ray Palmer and ask him about the applications of them?'

 

Felicity nodded and left the room again. Caitlin got to work and began to treat the rest of Barry's injuries. Oliver watched Caitlin and Diggle work on Barry as he began to towel himself dry. He winced as his side twinged, a reminder of the knife wound from earlier, and turned away to open his jacket to inspect the damage.

 

'I think that your system must have shut down completely to compensate for the severity of your injuries,' Caitlin explained, and turned to Oliver. 'When you felt no pulse, that was normal for him. When Barry was in a coma, his heart beat so fast that the hospital thought that he was coding, but it's just his way of recuperating.'

 

'He was unconscious for nearly two hours though,' Felicity frowned as she returned with her phone in her hand and noticed Oliver's wound. 'A mini coma? Is that normal for you guys?'

 

Caitlin shook her head and turned to Barry. 'This hasn't happened since he woke up from the coma. I'm glad that you're all right. Relatively speaking anyway.'

 

'I'll heal. I always do,' Barry insisted, and his smile was confident. 'I can even feel my legs this time.'

 

'You should still be careful, in case one day your powers aren't enough,' Diggle cautioned.

 

Barry sighed and nodded, before he turned to Felicity. 'Did you find out about the nanites?'

 

'Ray said that they are designed to disable a target. A normal person would be incapacitated for around 12 hours,' Felicity explained. 'With your speedy metabolism, you probably got over the effects much faster. Ray said that he can analyse a blood sample to be sure they are out of your system though.'

 

'That's good, although I am worried about him getting hypothermia. Just how long were you out in the rain!' Caitlin accused, and she turned on Oliver with a frown.

 

'I thought that he was dead!' Oliver protested, as he turned back to the group with a cloth held to his side to clean his wound. 'I didn't feel much like moving!'

 

'He can mend a fracture in 3 hours, and he recovered from a broken back before! You should have known that he would be fine!' Caitlin insisted, and frowned as Barry tried to push himself to sit up. 'Oh no, you shouldn't be moving around!'

 

'I'm fine, really,' Barry insisted. 'I think that my body shutting down like that enhanced my healing.'

 

Oliver's lips quirked into a small smile, and he sat beside Barry as he helped him to sit up. Barry leaned on Oliver's shoulder immediately.

 

'I'm glad that you're OK,' Oliver murmured with a soft smile towards Barry. Felicity watched the pair of them and gasped when she looked at Oliver more closely.

 

'Oh my God, Oliver! Your skin!' Felicity exclaimed, and placed her hand over her mouth to cover the tremble of her lips. 'You're cured!'

 

Felicity eyes sparkled with tears and she rushed towards Oliver to hold him close.

 

'Oliver, I am so, so happy for you,' Felicity mumbled into his shoulder. 'I thought that we were going to lose you.'

 

'Hang on, did I miss something here?' Barry frowned and looked at Felicity. 'I mean, I get that it's great that the curse is broken, but Oliver was getting better, and it wasn't affecting him so much any more. If he had stayed as he was, he would still be OK, just scarred, right?'

 

Oliver sighed and looked down. When he looked up again, he admitted reluctantly, 'If I didn't break the curse by my 30th birthday, I would have died.'

 

'When is that?' Barry asked cautiously.

 

'Less than two days from now,' Oliver sighed and when he looked at Barry he was hesitant.

 

Barry frowned, and wondered if Oliver's feelings were forced because of the tight deadline. No, Oliver had said that only true love could break the curse, and it had to be felt on both sides. Oliver had improved when they were together, had held him and kissed him with such passion, and made him happier than anyone ever had. No, Oliver's feelings were as real as his own.

 

Barry cupped Oliver's cheeks in his hands and looked into his eyes. When he spoke, he was confident, happy. 'I'm glad that I fell for you so quickly.'

 

'Me too,' Oliver smiled and leaned in to place a tender kiss on Barry's forehead. 'You should rest.'

 

'Only if you stay,' Barry insisted through a yawn.

 

'Of course,' Oliver agreed, and helped Barry to lay back down. Barry reached out a hand, and Oliver took it and gave it a gentle squeeze. He sank into a nearby chair and settled into a comfortable slouch.

 

 

\--

 

 

Barry spent most of the next day on bed rest, and Caitlin and Cisco stayed at the mansion to monitor his vitals whilst he recovered. Oliver was content to take it easy, and, once he was sure that he would not aggravate Barry's injuries, he spent most of the time snuggled up in bed beside Barry, protecting him even though all threats were neutralised for now.

 

Caitlin had just finished assessing Barry's condition the next afternoon when her phone rang.

 

'Joe, Hi!' Caitlin greeted, as she tucked her phone under her ear and raised an eyebrow at Barry.

 

'Star labs is empty, where are you?' Joe demanded, straight to the point. 'Where is Barry?'

 

Caitlin sighed. 'We're at the Queen mansion. There was an incident that we had to take care of. Do you want to speak to him?'

 

'Yes, it's important,' Joe sighed, relieved that his son was able to talk.

 

'All right,' Caitlin passed her phone to Barry and mouthed, 'Joe.'

 

Barry reached for the phone from where he was snuggled up to Oliver. 'Joe, hey!'

 

Barry listened for a moment, and then nodded and dashed out at super-speed before Caitlin could protest.

 

'He shouldn't be running around yet,' Caitlin grumbled. 'What was that about?'

 

Oliver looked at the door and frowned. 'It was about his father.'

 

'I hope it isn't bad news,' Caitlin sighed. 'I'm sure that Barry will be back soon.'

 

Oliver nodded and got up. He would take this opportunity to escort Merlyn to Lian Yu, where he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone again. It would not do to leave him in the basement of the Queen mansion too much longer and risk his escape.

 

 

\--

 

 

Barry rushed up to Iron Heights prison and stumbled as he skidded to a halt in front of Joe.

 

'You OK, Bear? You look a bit pale,' Joe commented. He glanced at Barry's hunched over form as Barry took a couple of deep breaths, concerned. 

 

Barry straightened up and shrugged off the concern. 'I'm fine, recovering. I had to help Oliver with something.'

 

'Right...' Joe frowned. 'And you got hurt helping him?'

 

'Really, Joe, I'm fine,' Barry grinned. 'Is my dad...?'

 

Joe nodded towards the gate, and Barry followed his gaze. Henry Allen stood, free, and Barry dashed over to embrace him. 'Dad!'

 

'Hey, slugger,' Henry greeted and held Barry close. Barry winced and his father raised an eyebrow. 'Have you been fighting again?'

 

'Yeah, we won though,' Barry grinned, and there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

 

'Glad to hear it,' Henry grinned. 'Shall we?'

 

Barry nodded and prepared to speed them away. It was Joe who noticed him falter.

 

'You need a lift, Bear?' Joe offered.

 

Barry sighed. 'Yeah. I probably shouldn't be up yet. Thanks Joe.'

 

'Where to?' Joe asked, but part of him already suspected that he knew the answer.

 

'Queen Mansion. There's someone that I'd like you both to meet,' Barry smiled, and he could not keep the look of excitement from his face as they walked towards the car.

 

 

\--

 

 

When they arrived a couple of hours later, Barry was greeted at the door by a worried Caitlin. She reached out and hit his arm.

 

'You shouldn't be running around yet! You broke your neck, and you were stabbed and thrown off the roof of this mansion. You need to be more careful!' Caitlin chided him. It was then that she noticed Joe. 'Oh, hey Joe.'

 

'Caitlin,' Joe greeted, and then turned on Barry. 'Why didn't you tell me how badly you were hurt?'

 

'I didn't want to worry you. I'm fine now,' Barry insisted, and attempted to reassure Joe with a smile before he turned to Felicity. 'Where's Oliver?'

 

'He went with Thea and Roy to deal with Merlyn. He'll be back soon. Who are your friends?' Felicity asked, as she sent a curious glance towards Henry and Joe.

 

'These are my dads, Joe, and Henry,' Barry explained. 'Don't worry, Joe already knows Oliver's secret and my dad will keep it.'

 

Caitlin noticed Henry and moved forward to give him a hug. 'I'm so glad that you got out. When Wells died, we weren't sure if that were possible.'

 

'Thank you.' Henry returned the hug and looked at Barry. 'So, who is Oliver? And what's his secret?'

 

'My boyfriend,' Barry replied, at the same time as Joe said, 'The Arrow.'

 

'The Arrow, huh? I heard a lot about him whilst I was in Iron Heights,' Henry mused. 'He put away a lot of bad people. He hasn't been active in a while now though and we even had empty cells free when I was released.'

 

'I was compromised,' Oliver said from the doorway, where he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed and wary.

 

Barry sped to Oliver's side and hugged him. 'Hey Ollie. This is my dad, Henry, and my adoptive father, Joe.'

 

Oliver raised an eyebrow.

 

'I know! I never thought that it would happen either,' Barry grinned. 'Wells left a confession tape though.'

 

'I'm happy for you,' Oliver smiled and kept his arm around Barry as they headed over to Joe and Henry. Oliver held out a hand to Henry, who shook it. 'Oliver Queen. Pleased to meet you.'

 

'Likewise,' Henry replied, without a hint of judgement. 'You take good care of my son.'

 

'I will,' Oliver promised, and turned to Joe with a hand outstretched. 'Detective West.'

 

Joe was suspicious, hesitant, as he eyed Oliver's hand, but he shook it regardless. 'I've got my eye on you, Queen.'

 

Oliver maintained eye contact, and kept his grip firm. He did not flinch and the two men stared each other down. 

 

'Where are Thea and Roy?' Felicity asked, in a clear attempt to change the subject. Barry sent a relieved smiled her way.

 

'Roy proposed to Thea on the island,' Oliver explained as he turned to Felicity with a smile. 'They went out to celebrate. I'll need your help to tidy up the mansion for an engagement party.'

 

'That's great news,' Felicity smiled. 'Me and Dig tried to clear up after the attack, but there's still a lot...'

 

Barry sped around and appeared back in front of them moments later. Felicity looked around in wonder. The entrance hall was clear of debris and looked as good as new. 

 

'..of work to do,' Felicity finished. 'Wow.'

 

Barry shrugged and glanced at Oliver. 'I can think of better things to do over the next few days than clean.'

 

Oliver grinned. Barry smiled and then rolled his eyes towards Caitlin, who glared at him. 'I'm fine, really. That was nothing compared to the run to the prison.'

 

Henry looked between his son and Oliver with a fond smile. He touched Joe's shoulder to get the his attention. 'I'm going to head off after dinner, travel for a bit.'

 

'What?' Joe whispered. 'Henry, you just got out, what about Barry?'

 

'Look at him, Joe. He doesn't need me holding him back. I've never seen him so happy,' Henry smiled. 'As the Flash, he can make a real difference to the lives of others, and it looks like he's finally found some personal happiness too. If I stick around, he'll feel obliged to sacrifice those things for me, and he's sacrificed too much in my name already.'

 

'All right, if you're sure.' Joe sighed and reached out to embrace Henry. 'Good luck.'

 

'Thanks,' Henry replied and together they followed Felicity, Caitlin, Barry and Oliver towards the kitchen.

 

 

\--

 

 

Later, after Joe and Henry had left, with Caitlin and a reluctant Cisco in tow, Oliver was content to lay on his back with his arms around Barry, who snuggled on top of him as they relaxed in his room in the mansion. 

 

'I can't believe that my dad is leaving already,' Barry sighed and buried his head in Oliver's neck. 'He only just got out.'

 

'I'm sorry,' Oliver offered, and ran a hand up Barry's back in a gentle caress. 'I know how much he meant to you.'

 

'Thanks Ollie. At least he's out of prison, and he said that he would stay in touch.' Barry smiled, looked up at Oliver, and linked their hands. 'In the meantime, I have you, and I have my secret identity, which is more than enough to make me happy.'

 

'Mm hmm,' Oliver murmured with a smile, and began to trail kisses down Barry's neck. 'How are your injuries?'

 

'I'm fine,' Barry insisted eagerly when he felt a throbbing hardness nudge against his own. He pressed his hips down to thrust against Oliver, and surged forward to capture Oliver's lips in a passionate kiss.

 

Oliver responded with a growing urgency and rolled them over so that he straddled Barry's hips. Barry felt a pleasant vibration shudder through him as Oliver lowered his body to cover his and slipped his tongue past his lips.

 

'Just so you know...' Barry managed when he caught a breath between kisses. 'I'm planning on staying the night.'

 

'Good, because I wasn't planning on letting you go any time soon,' Oliver grinned, and ran a hand up the back of Barry's neck in a gentle tease.

 

Barry groaned and arched into Oliver's touch. Oliver let his fingers play with the hair at the base of Barry's neck for a few moments, before he pulled Barry close and kissed him desperately. His hands trailed down Barry's sides to lift at the bottom of Barry's shirt, and he was stunned when, in a flurry of movement, they were suddenly both naked.

 

Barry grinned up at Oliver, and his eyes danced with mischief. Oliver rolled his eyes in response, but he soon turned his appreciative gaze on the body below his. Barry felt time slow down around him as he ran a hand over Oliver's chest, and then around and up his back to rest on Oliver's neck. Oliver let out a contented sigh, which became a quick pant of pleasure as time returned to it's regular speed and Barry lifted his hips to pull Oliver's body flush against his own. He slipped a hand between them, to take them both in hand, and lost himself in the sensation of Barry pressed naked against him, and in Barry's lips, which engaged him in a hungry kiss. Oliver began to thrust against Barry in earnest as he sought as much friction as he could, and drove them both closer and closer towards release.

 

'Ollie,' Barry whimpered, as Oliver increased his pace, and Barry's skin began to tingle with light vibrations as Oliver's hands trailed down his sides. Oliver shuddered with want as the vibrations stimulated his sensitive skin, and he leaned down to caress Barry's lips. Barry ran a teasing hand down Oliver's back and canted his hips up. His entire body shook as he pressed closer to Oliver, before he tensed and spilled between them. Oliver groaned as the vibrations from Barry's orgasm rolled over him. He felt tension coil within him, and he buried his face in the crook of Barry's neck as the pleasure continued to build and his thrusts became more erratic. A few thrusts later, Oliver felt himself tense, and he let out a muffled cry as pleasure washed over him and he followed Barry over the edge.

 

They lay still for a few moments, neither willing to break the moment, or the contented silence, before Oliver rolled off Barry to lay on his back beside him. Barry reached a hand across the small space between them and captured Oliver's hand in a loose grip. Oliver squeezed Barry's hand and turned to Barry with a small, content, smile. Barry responded with an amused grin.

 

'What?' Oliver raised an eyebrow and then followed Barry's gaze down. 'You are insatiable.'

 

'Well, we have all night,' Barry moved his shoulder's in a casual shrug, and rolled over to lay on his side against Oliver. He let one hand trail down Oliver's chest suggestively. 'A few days if you want. Caitlin won't let me be the Flash until she's sure that I'm healed fully, and I'm sure that Joe won't let me back to work yet either. No one will even notice I'm gone...'

 

'Sounds good,' Oliver replied, and his lips twitched into a grin that he was unable to contain. He cupped Barry's cheek and placed a tender kiss on his lips, a promise of many more kisses to come.

 

 

 --

 

 

A few days later, Barry wandered into Jitters with a smile on his face. He spotted Iris at a table, hard at work on her laptop, and headed over.

 

'Hey, Bear, what's got you so happy?' Iris asked as she greeted her friend with a smile of her own. She nodded towards a second coffee, which sat on the table between them, and Barry scooped it up with a grateful smile. 'You're even on time today!'

 

Barry stood opposite her and sipped at his coffee. It was still warm. 'My dad got out of prison,' Barry grinned.

 

'Barry, that's fantastic news!' Iris flew out of her chair and hugged Barry tight. 'I'm so happy for you.'

 

'Thanks, Iris,' Barry beamed, and they sat opposite each other at the table. 'Hey, there's this engagement party for a new friend of mine tonight, do you want to come?'

 

'Barry...' Iris sighed and drew in a deep breath. When she continued, she was hesitant, but firm. 'Dad told me why you disappeared for a few days. I'm sorry. I never realised that my news could hurt you. I'm engaged to Eddie, I can't return your feelings and I can't go with you as anything other than a friend.'

 

Barry pushed back his chair to stand and Iris prepared for the worst. She didn't expect a smile, the first open, genuine smile that she had seen from Barry in a long time.

 

'I know,' Barry insisted with a bright smile. 'Bring Eddie along.'

 

'Really?' Iris frowned at him.

 

'Yeah, sure. Oliver says that I can invite whoever I want,' Barry smiled, but paused at the look on her face. He was quick to shake his head, and clarified in a rush. 'I wasn't asking you out! I'm sorry if I made things awkward between us before too.'

 

'No, it's OK,' Iris smiled, happy, but curious. 'So, why the sudden change? Did you meet someone?'

 

'Ready to go?' Oliver interrupted.

 

Barry smiled. 'Just give me a minute.'

 

Oliver nodded and moved to stand with Felicity, who waited in line to grab a coffee to go.

 

'You did not tell me that you knew Oliver Queen!' Iris hit Barry's arm as she stood and ran an appreciative gaze over Oliver. 'So it's his party?'

 

'Oww, Iris!' Barry cried out, but beamed towards Oliver, who had looked over at his exclamation. 'Yes, I know Oliver Queen, and yes, it's his party. For his sister, Thea.'

 

'If I weren't engaged... ' Iris muttered, and her glances had become more discreet now that Oliver was looking their way.

 

'I'm sorry to let you down Iris, but Oliver is taken,' Barry grinned.

 

'Well, so am I,' Iris shrugged. 'Is it that pretty blonde?'

 

Barry shook his head and his cheeks flushed as he muttered a quiet, 'You were right, I did meet someone.'

 

'Oh my God, Barry Allen! My dad is going to kill you!' Iris lowered her voice to a whisper. 'You know there are rumours that Oliver is the vigilante of Starling city, right?'

 

'Joe already knows how I feel about Oliver. He's cool with it.' Barry frowned in thought. 'You know, actually, he has been a little off with me lately, do you think that he's giving me the cold shoulder?'

 

Iris laughed fondly at Barry's obvious worry. 'Probably. You know how he was when he found out about me and Eddie.'

 

'Yeah, Joe has nothing good to say about Oliver, either.' Barry sighed and looked away towards where Oliver chatted with Felicity.

 

'Well, what if he **is** the vigilante?' Iris wondered as she glanced again at Oliver. 'That's not really safe, Bear.'

 

'Iris, you know how I feel about the vigilante. I may not like all of his methods, but he's a hero,' Barry insisted, with a fond glance towards Oliver.

 

'Well, be careful. If Oliver is the vigilante, you might have some competition. A handful of police officers saw the Flash looking after the vigilante when he was hurt a few days ago, and they looked really close.' Iris shoved her phone into Barry's hands, with her latest blog post displayed on screen.

 

'I thought that you weren't writing about the Flash any more?' Barry asked as he looked away, awkward, and rubbed the back of his neck.

 

'You know me, I can't stay away from a good story, and everyone is talking about the ones that took down Zoom.' Iris grinned. 'This article is getting me a lot of publicity.'

 

'How did you even get this?' Barry asked in awe as he zoomed in on the photo, thankful that it was so blurry: he remembered pulling his hood down as he comforted Oliver that night, and it would have been the worst way for Iris to find out. 

 

'When my dad took a small force to the airfield after the Flash engaged Zoom, I knew that something was up, so I followed him,' Iris explained. 'I'm the only one with the scoop on this, so I'm looking at a big promotion! I'm willing to put aside my personal feelings about the Flash for that.'

 

'That's great news!' Barry paused. 'You know that the Flash would never hurt anyone on purpose, right?' Barry offered, and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched carefully for her reaction.

 

'He hurt Eddie that time, and it sure didn't seem like an accident. It was as if he were jealous,' Iris frowned and looked towards Barry.

 

Barry looked away and ran a nervous hand up the back of his neck. 'Yeah, I'm sure that he's sorry about that.'

 

'How would you know that?' Iris accused. 'Do you know him?'

 

Barry handed Iris her phone back and she felt a shock of static pass between them. Barry watched as her eyes widened in shock, before she glared at him.

 

Barry winced, but met her gaze head on. 'What?'

 

'No...' Iris hit him again. 'Seriously? Does that mean that Oliver is...'

 

Barry sighed and nodded. He gestured towards Oliver and his coffee sloshed over the edge of his cup. 'Iris, you can't tell anyone!'

 

'I won't,' Iris promised, and lowered her voice. 'Why didn't you tell me that you were the Flash?'

 

'You have no idea how many times I've wanted to tell you. I'm sorry, and I really am sorry about Eddie. There was another meta-human, he made people angry and out of control and I was affected pretty badly. I'm just lucky that my friends managed to stop me before I hurt anyone else,' Barry rambled, and he could tell by the look on her face that he spoke too fast for her to understand most of what he said..

 

'I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner...' Iris mused as she looked Barry up and down. 'You don't look any different.'

 

'You are the first person that I wanted to tell. Everything was just so crazy after I woke up though, and there never seemed to be a good time. I'm sorry that you're angry,' Barry sighed.

 

'I'm not angry, just disappointed. You and I were so close before you were struck by lightning, and now I feel as if I barely know you any more. That's not all on you though, because even though you've been distant, I've been so wrapped up in Eddie and my blog that we just haven't talked like we used to,' Iris looked down, sad. 'Does Eddie know?'

 

Barry nodded his head. 'He hasn't known long though, and he was livid with Joe for making him keep my secret from you. I was going to tell you for Eddie's sake, but then you said that you were getting married and I ended up at Oliver's mansion and things got so busy.'

 

Iris smirked and slapped his arm playfully. 'Busy, huh? So, is Oliver...'

 

'Do I need to intervene?' Oliver placed a protective hand on Barry's shoulder. 'That's the third time I've seen her hit you in the space of 5 minutes.'

 

'No, I'm good. She's always like this,' Barry looked at Oliver with a fond smile and noticed Felicity leave with a tall brunette out of the corner of his eye.

 

'Aww, that's so sweet! Your face, Bear!' Iris clapped her hands together. 'I'll talk to dad for you, don't worry.'

 

'Thanks Iris.' Barry turned to Oliver. 'Oliver, this is Iris, my best friend.'

 

Oliver's eyes narrowed a little, but he held out a hand to Iris in greeting. 'Pleased to meet you.'

 

'You know, you're not as scary as I thought you would be,' Iris commented as she looked Oliver up and down.

 

Oliver sent a careful, guarded look towards Iris. He kept his expression neutral as he waited for her, or for Barry, to explain.

 

'She figured it out,' Barry whispered, as he wound his arms around Oliver's waist.

 

'Don't worry, your secrets are safe, but you do have to give me an interview about Zoom, and exclusives on all your adventures,' Iris insisted.

 

'All right, sure, anything to help you become a successful journalist,' Barry agreed, and gave Oliver a gentle nudge with his elbow. Oliver nodded beside him, a little reluctantly.

 

'Are we done here? We need to find an engagement present for Roy and Thea,' Oliver asked as he glanced at his watch.

 

'Dude, is that the time?' Barry exclaimed when he caught a glimpse of Oliver's watch. He looked at Iris to try and determine if she was mad at him. 'Are we good?'

 

'Oh Bear, of course we are.' Iris embraced him. 'I'll see you tonight. Queen Mansion, right?'

 

Barry smiled. 'Right. See you later, Iris.'

 

Oliver gave a discreet glance over his shoulder as they walked away. 'Is that the Iris you spoke of at the mansion? The one that you loved?'

 

'Yup,' Barry admitted with a fond grin, and one corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile at the look on Oliver's face. 'Are you jealous? You have nothing to worry about, Ollie. I love you.'

 

'You're just closer than I expected you to be,' Oliver commented, and he threw an arm around Barry's shoulder's in an attempt to be casual. 'Come on, we have a lot to do before tonight.'

 

'With my speed, we can get everything done in no time,' Barry grinned, and dragged them into an alleyway. He crowded close and pressed Oliver back into the wall. Oliver wrapped his arms around Barry's waist, and Barry leaned in to brush his lips over Oliver's to offer a little reassurance. Oliver smiled and brought a hand up to rest on Barry's cheek.

 

'Ready?' Barry asked, and Oliver nodded, reassured. He held on tight as Barry sped them to the best shopping district that Central city had.

 

 

\--

 

 

After they had found a suitable engagement present, Barry parted ways with Oliver and headed back to work.

 

Joe found him in his lab later that afternoon, and watched as Barry hummed as he worked.

 

'How are you doing?' Joe asked as he watched Barry move with ease about the lab.

 

'I'm fully healed, Joe,' Barry smiled, amused. 'Honestly, I was fine a couple of days ago. I didn't need the extra time off, although it was nice to spend a bit of time with Oliver without one of us being injured or attacked.'

 

Joe frowned. 'If I'd known that was what you were doing, I would have insisted that you come back to work sooner.'

 

Barry looked away out of the window. 'Joe, I know that you don't like him, but I do. Your approval means a lot to me, so can you please just try to see what I see in him?'

 

'Iris said that you were smitten.' Joe sighed and took in the stubborn set of Barry's jaw. Barry's gaze, when he turned back to him, was resolved and focused. 'Fine, fine. How about dinner tomorrow night?'

 

'Or, you could come to the party tonight, get to know Oliver better... ' Barry suggested with a sly smile.

 

'This is the party that Iris was raving about earlier?' Joe accused, and paused for a moment to look down. When he looked up, he was resigned, weary. 'All right, I'll go. I want to make sure that she's safe anyway. Things I do for you kids.'

 

'Thanks Joe!' Barry's face broke into a grin and he dashed forward to pull Joe into a tight embrace. 'This means a lot to me.'

 

Joe couldn't help but smile. 'All right. I'll see you later.'

 

'Later Joe.' Barry waved as Joe left his lab, and got on with the rest of his work day. He hummed to himself as he worked, excited for the night ahead.

 

 

\--

 

 

The main hall was decorated in reds and greens. Thea had insisted, when she caught Barry's laugh, that this was Oliver's party too, and that the colours of the Flash and the Arrow looked awesome together, thank you very much. Much like the couple themselves looked good together too, she had added with a sly smile. Dinner had been a success, and Roy had been officially welcomed back into the mansion with open arms. Thea looked radiant, and anyone who looked at Oliver could tell how proud he was. Barry smiled and watched as Oliver stood to call the attention of the room.

 

'I just want to say, congratulations to Roy, and to Thea, my baby sister. I am so proud of you, Speedy, and if mom and dad were here, I know that they would feel the same way. I'd like to raise a toast, to Roy and Thea, may they be very happy together,' Oliver concluded, and stepped back over to Barry to kiss his cheek.

 

Barry smiled and sipped his drink as Felicity, Diggle and Thea took the stage.

 

'We just wanted to say, happy birthday Oliver,' Felicity beamed, her face lit up with happiness.

 

'We are so glad that you could be with us today, man,' Diggle added with conviction.

 

'We never expected this day to be a celebration,' Thea continued, and nearly choked on the emotion that she clearly felt. 'We love you Ollie, and we are so glad that you were able to find love in time.'

 

Oliver smiled an awkward smile and turned to Barry. 'Did you know that they were making this a birthday party too?'

 

'Of course.' Barry grinned. 'Did you not see the colour scheme? It's a big achievement, reaching thirty, especially for you.'

 

'Uh huh. Thanks to you.' Oliver looked towards Barry with a grateful smile.

 

'I love you, Oliver,' Barry replied, and grabbed Oliver's hand. He stepped in front of him and his eyes darted up to meet Oliver's. 'Dance with me?'

 

'You're offering yourself willingly?' Oliver joked.

 

'Well, you were going to drag me into it anyway, right?' Barry gave a half smile and led the way into the centre of the room.

 

'Yup,' Oliver grinned, and he took Barry's hands in his own as they started to sway.

 

Barry smiled and moved his hands up to rest on Oliver's neck. He sighed, content, as he felt Oliver's hands move to his waist.

 

Oliver cast a discreet glance around them and kept his hands to Barry's waist. Barry's foster father was here, and although Oliver longed to rest his hands a little lower, Joe was a cop, and Oliver knew that Joe wasn't fond of his relationship with Barry. Best not give Joe any more reason to dislike him, especially with what he was about to do. Oliver huffed out a nervous breath and moved one of his hands down to his pocket.

 

'Barry, we haven't known each other long, but I already feel like I can't ever lose you,' Oliver began, and pulled away a little bit. His eyes flicked up to meet Barry's, and he paused for a moment before he took Barry's left hand in his right.

 

Barry smiled at him, his expression open and unguarded. 'What's this about, Ollie?'

 

The harsh screech of a siren cut over Oliver's response, and Barry looked up in surprise.

 

'Is this what you were trying to tell me?' Barry asked as he pulled his hands away to cover his ears.

 

'Nope. Felicity, what's going on?' Oliver growled.

 

'Cisco and I set up an alarm system which we could easily trigger whenever we spotted danger in either of our cities,' Felicity explained. 'Beats running around the mansion trying to find you both if we need you.'

 

'Dude, I'm sorry, I only checked in on Central city for a second. I wasn't expecting to find anything going on,' Cisco apologised as he approached with his tablet and eyed Oliver's hand, which was still in his pocket.

 

Barry glanced at Oliver with a half smile and a shrug of apology. Oliver crossed his arms and nodded.

 

'What am I dealing with, Cisco?' Barry asked.

 

'A meta that can brainwash someone by touching them. Kind of like Rainbow Raider, but worse. I'll call him the Manipulator,' Cisco exclaimed and handed the tablet to Barry. 'He's already got a couple of cops under his spell, see?'

 

'Don't get near him,' Caitlin warned. 'Who knows what he might do to you if he touches you.'

 

'How am I supposed to catch him when I can't risk going near him?' Barry complained.

 

'I'll give you a hand,' Oliver offered, in a tone that wouldn't see any arguments. Barry nodded and sped them both to get changed. Moments later, they were stood on a building in Central city, and Barry rolled his eyes as the latest meta caused chaos.

 

'Never a dull moment, huh?' Barry asked with a fond smile.

 

Oliver shot a trap arrow down towards the meta-human, which pinned him to the floor.

 

'Nope,' Oliver grinned, and placed his bow behind his back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

 

'You think that will hold him?' Barry frowned down towards the meta, who struggled, desperate to escape. 'That seemed too easy.'

 

Oliver rolled his eyes. 'I have better things to do than waste time with him.'

 

'Right. OK. Let's get him locked up and then get back to the party.' Barry grinned and turned to find Oliver on one knee. 'Ollie?'

 

'Barry. Since the moment I met you, you have inspired me to become the best version of myself, and you gave me hope when I thought that all was lost. You have a good heart, and I am honoured that you chose to share it with me. I hope that you will share it with me for the rest of our lives.' Oliver took a deep breath and raised his eyes to meet Barry's, before he continued, his voice quiet, hopeful. 'Will you marry me?'

 

Barry froze, stunned, and then he shook his head in disbelief. A small smile played at the corners of his lips.

 

'If it's too fast, you don't have to answer yet,' Oliver insisted, and moved as if to get to his feet.

 

Barry closed the distance between them and flung himself into Oliver's arms. 'No, it's not too fast. I'd love to.'

 

Oliver's smile was gentle as he pulled back to look at Barry. Barry grinned back at him, open and happy. Oliver cupped Barry's cheek and leaned in to kiss him. It did not take long for the kiss to become heated, but they broke apart to look at each other, amused, when a crackle from their communicators reminded them that they were still on.

 

'You guys realise that your communicators are still on, right?' Cisco complained. 'I mean, congratulations and all, but the whole room can hear you and the girls are deafening me with excited squeals.'

 

'Congratulations, Ollie,' Thea's voice came over the earpiece and Oliver could hear that she was pleased.

 

'Thanks,' Oliver smiled, and he held Barry closer as Barry leaned his head on Oliver's shoulder.

 

'You still have a meta-human to deal with,' Joe warned as he watched the live security feed of the road on Cisco's tablet. 'He's escaping.'

 

'He's right, you can make out later,' Felicity insisted. 'Preferably in front of me. Oh, I did not just say that.'

 

'Bring him in and wrap this up quickly, we want to celebrate!' Caitlin exclaimed with a giggle.

 

'Right.' Barry grinned towards Oliver. 'Let's get this over with. On three?'

 

Oliver nodded.

 

'One, two, three,' Barry counted down, and together they dashed forward, united, the unstoppable scarlet speedster and the emerald archer.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we have it. I hope that you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
> 
> I had every intention of doing at least 4 of the 7 prompts for the last Olivarry week, but this one just got away from me and even then it ended up being finished way, way beyond the week. Next time I'll be more prepared! 
> 
> I have a lot of other ideas, notes, and scenes, all for future projects. 
> 
> Next up I will be doing an Olivarry Mini NaNoWriMo, which is something I came up with to pass the time and break up the strict, large, word count of actual NaNoWriMo. This will be 5000 words (more if I get carried away) of Olivarry before the end of November, probably over a few short works
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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